Chapter Two.

We Kick Old Habits Only To Start New Ones.

My night with Chase was rather eventful to say in the least and once again I found myself realizing just how much I had missed the boy down the road. We spent the evening catching up and discussing old memories from our childhoods that will always be one. There was a sense of ease to him that made me feel comfortable and for this I will always be fond of him.

"I met this amazing chick…." I heard him say and it hadn't occurred to me that I had zoned out on what he was telling me.

"Did you?" I ask. Usually when he met someone Chase never really paid much attention to them. He is destined to rise above us all.

"Yeah." He took a long drag of his Camel.

"What she like?" I questioned. She must really be someone for him to confide in me.

And so began his tale of the lady of his dreams. I found it hard to concentrate on what he was saying though for I was thinking about the one man that has me on hinge by just being near. With every laugh that escaped from Chase brought me back to reality- Weston would never be mine.

"Any new conquests?" he ask sheepishly.

"No!" I playfully slapped his arm. "Well…maybe a few." I replied laughing.

"Do tell." He commanded.

"A lady never tells." I smiled.

"But I have spilled my guts out to you! It's only fair." Chase pouted.

"I didn't ask you to." I told him.

Chase looked at me for a long time before speaking again. To be honest it was quite unnerving to have him look at me like that for a given period of time. I have never found comfort in the stares of gentlemen much rather than friends of mine.

"There is something different about you."

I raised an eyebrow at this remark. It caught me off guard.

"You just haven't been around in a while."

"No…it's not that." He said seriously.

"You just like to indulge in pointless conversation to continue the process of procrastination which by the way- you do a damn good job of doing." I pointed out to take the edge off of myself. Which I tend to do a lot when I do not like where the conversation is headed.

"A back handed compliment!" he laughed. "You are such an expandable pain in the ass."

"It's part of my charm." I smirked.

And that was where my night fell short. I passed out on Chase just as he was telling me about his run in with a crazy feminist. Not that feminism is bad or anything- I am a firm believer in women and all but its going a little overboard when you are attacking cute strangers on the street- insert Chase here- and scaring them into agreeing with everything you say.

When I woke up I found that Chase had carried me to my bed. He was such a good friend. I went into the bathroom to see how my face looked but to my surprise Chase was o longer at my apartment. In his place was Rooney- passed out of my couch with multiple candy bags surrounding him. I walked over to where my little crazy friend was sleeping and gave him a hard poke in the side.

"You are a sight for sore eyes." Rooney's eyes immediately popped open.

"I bet you say that to every person who wakes you up." I laughed.

"Only my most attractive companions." He said.

"Where did Chase wonder off to?" I ask.

"He went to O.E. and Weston's to get some shit I think."

I nodded in reply and went into the kitchen to fix some cereal. But when I opened my pantry cabinet I found that I had none. "Damn." I muttered to myself. I didn't get paid for another week or so and my grocery shopping needed to be done. I was completely out of food.

"So I've been thinking about my ideal job." Rooney piped up, swinging his legs off of the couch.

"Have you now?' I ask half amused.

"Yeah, my ideal job would be accepting to my penchant for drunken passing out." He said.

"You did have that job." I told him. "The Sleep Center was studying alcohol induced narcolepsy. You were fired for jacking off in your sleep."

"Think they will hire me back if I promise I'll only do it when they turn their backs?" He ask.

"I doubt it. I think you traumatized them enough already." I said laughing. This was only slightly true.

"Maybe." He shrugged and walked over to my kitchen. He peered inside my pantry and fridge and when he didn't find anything, like myself he sighed loudly. "Somebody hasn't been doing their shopping."

"Somebody hasn't gotten paid." I threw a pillow at him.

"I say we drive over to your brothers and get some grub. We are looking dangerously skinny."

"I say you've got yourself a plan." I grabbed my keys and headed out the door to my car with Rooney in pursuit.

"You know what I love about you, Luka?' Rooney ask once inside my car.

"What's that?" I backed out of my parking space carefully. I didn't want to hit the big ass "love machine" van my neighbor had carelessly parked. I didn't feel like listening to him bitch and moan about how much of a irresponsible driver I am.

"You just get up and go. Any other chick would be like…in the shitter putting on like pounds of the war paint just to go eat." He clasped his hands behind his head and smiled at me.

"I wear the war paint occasionally."

"Yeah but you know what I mean, right?'

"I think so." I told him and turned on my stereo. Pantera was currently in the drive and I let Dimebag's solo take place of the conversation.

We pulled up to the luxurious new townhouse apartments up on Monroe Drive and I couldn't help but admire the architecture. My brother lived easy and had a beautiful apartment- that he nor Weston really took care of. And part of me was jealous of him for that but I could never hate my brother for what he has obtained. I loved him too much for it.

Rooney raced out of my car and went up to the large red door and opened it without knocking. I laughed to myself at him. When Rooney was hungry…he was hungry NOW. I locked my car and made my way up to the apartment. I was feeling slightly nervous, much like usual whenever I come over for the simple fact that Weston lived here too. I prayed that his girlfriend was not here. I didn't think that I could stand being polite to her today.

"Luka!" Owen peered at me from his couch. "Did I tell you to go grocery shopping or did I not?"

"No time." I smiled.

"You need to stop running around and get to that." He said.

"Why should I when I've got you to fall back on?" I ask sarcastically. He was in such a foul mood.

I fell back onto the opposite side of the couch and placed my hands behind my head. Rooney was coming out of the kitchen with a gigantic bowl of cereal when Weston appeared suddenly, looking devilish with a towel hanging loosely on his hipbones.

"Dude that's my fucking cereal!" He bellowed.

"But I'm really hungry." Rooney offered.

"So am I." he huffed.

"I'm willing to share." Rooney said suggestively.

"I don't share."

At this I could not help but roll my eyes. Weston was so full of shit.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I ask as he sat on me. To be so thin he was pretty damn heavy.

"Visiting." he grinned and flicked his long damp hair at me.

I wiped the drops of water off of my face.

"On me? Go visit with Rooney. I'm still tired."

"I'm mad at Rooney, he's eating my breakfast. Besides you look so much more appealing." He winked.

I felt my cheek immediately flush. And I hated that Weston has this effect on me. I wish that with him I could still pretend to be the badass that everyone thinks that I a. The one girl that is unlike the rest. The unattainable one, the one always in control.

"You still hard up?"

"What?!" I ask. That came out of nowhere.

"You heard me." he said.

"I'm good." I told him tucking a stray hair behind my ear. "Now get off."

"Only if you'll help."

'Not a chance." I smirked and pinch his side.

Weston yelped in pain and I laughed at him.

"I'll get you back for that."

"Sure you will." I looked over at Owen who had passed out.

"Had an interesting night." Weston informed me.

"Looks like it." I got up and straightened my clothes.

"Where are you taking off to?" Rooney piped up.

"Work." I walked to the door and stood to go out.

"I might stop by." Weston told me.

"Okay." I told him and walked on outside to my car. Things were going to go smoothly at work today. I would be in a good mood all day and that would definitely please Tom, my boss. Who has mentioned that I need to keep my attitude and anger problems in check.

I was smiling when I walked in the door to clock in. Everyone was giving me strange looks-like they've never seen me smile before and that just made me grin even more.

"Okay spill." Sarah demanded as she punched her time card in.

"What?" I ask.

"SMILING…you…God knows that I love you, you never come into this place smiling." Sarah pointed out.

"I smile." I told her and punched my card in.

"No…you…don't" She said slowly.

I waved her off and went to the register where she and I worked everyday, five times a week.

"I am on to you, Luka Bella." She told me.

"You are making it seem like I am some bitch or something." I laughed.

"Honey…to most people you are."

"Most people piss me off." I furrowed my brows.

"And that's why I love you. You and me…we'll change the world."

"When are we doing this?" I ask.

"Starting today." She flicked her long red hair and smiled at me.

"Why today? And how for that matter?"

"Smiling!" she said excitedly.

This caused my smile to cease.

"Smiling?" I ask.

Sarah nodded her head. "Smiling."

"No one gives a damn if we are smiling, Sar." I informed her.

"I know. But as an experiment lets see how many people we can freak out."

"I like this change the world plan of yours."

"Me too. But I think we need a new plan name. Cause we aren't really changing the world." She laughed.

"Yes!"

"Yes?" Tom ask carrying a clipboard. Inventory…so glad I am not a manager.

" I am happy!" I told him a little too excitedly.

"She is happy." Sarah smiled.

"While you two are getting happy, why don't you make some sales." He scolded and walked off back into his office.

"That man needs some weed." Sarah laughed. " That or get laid."

For the rest of the day Sarah and I tried to smile all day long. This resulted in making people looking at us strangely or just getting pissed off because we were "making fun" of them. To which made us blow up with laughter and them walking out. The whole "change the world" plan soon died out though because Tom kept yelling at us to be professional and one forty something twat seriously pissed both Sarah and myself off to the extreme. She was just stupid and need not come into a record store ever again. If she didn't come into Stoked ever again, that would be too soon.

Around seven thirty or so my mood began to damped. I got my hopes up when Weston told me that he was going to be stopping by and he hadn't showed up all day. Which meant one thing- he was not going to show at all. And to help him with that would be his whore of a girlfriend. I know I shouldn't like him and all but I can't help it. He is the most amazing guy I have ever laid my sight upon. If you are looking for a boyfriend he is the perfect candidate. Sometimes I really wish that I didn't like him the way that I do, but then he goes and does something that makes me go back to liking him. He's got me wrapped underneath his spell and it's out of my control.

I shook my head at myself. I was so stupid to think that he would actually follow through on my behalf. If he did miraculously show up it would be with The Whore and probably only to score a discount on some Cds or something along those lines.

"What happened to my smiling co-worker?" Sarah ask.

"She got pissed." I told her.

"Might as well get pissed rather than pissed on. Well I'm going to head home." She said.

"See ya." I told her and sat down.

It was all fun while it lasted but I was back to being "bitchy". Weston had control over my moods like that. But for once it would be really awesome if he could see that I was waiting on him. Yeah, it would be nice.

I sat in that position for the remainder of the night. There was hardly any customers that came into the store and Tom decided to close up a little early. For this I was grateful. I needed to go home and get a hot shower.

Tom walked me outside to my car and as I pulled off my anger got the best of me and I skidded my tires. I hadn't mean to do that and Tom probably thought that he had something to do with my mood, and I would feel pretty lousy if he did. Even though the man bitches like hell he really is a sweetheart. And even though I act like I have such high distain for the man, I really did like his bald little self.

Traffic wasn't bad at all as I made my way back home. In fact I made it home in less than fifteen minutes which was unusual because the college was back in session. I parked my car in my little designated spot and made my way to my apartment. I got my key out to unlock my door when suddenly it sprang open and Nikki appeared with tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong?" I ask as she engulfed me in a hug.

And that was when she showed me. The test strip was blue.

"Oh shit."

"Fuck." she said.

"It will be alright." I told her.

"Andre doesn't want children right now. I don't want children right now. This is not my life."

I wanted to laugh at what she was saying but knew that my best friend needed me right now.

"Slap me!" she said suddenly.

"What?! No!" I told her.

"Do it. Wake me up from this nightmare!" she said dramatically.

"I am not going to slap you." I told her.

"But I would do it for you." she said while placing her hands on her head.

"I would never ask you to slap me." I pointed out.

"Now I have to tell Andre."

"Now you have to tell Andre." I repeated. Telling Andre wouldn't be the hardest thing she would have to face. Real live labor would top that. I gave her a hug and laid down on the couch.

"Your sleeping?" she ask. "You are going to go to sleep in my time of need!"

"I am only going to rest my eyes." I told her holding one eye open.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." she said finally and went into the hall closet to bring out some blankets.

"Let's rest our eyes." she said before falling asleep.