you say we need to talk,

[conner jason marshton]

For the tenth time that day, Connor checked his phone. He always had messages, but none were from Adelaide. She was the only person he was waiting to hear from; that he cared to hear from. They hadn't spoken since that night at the party and that was a while ago in the term of weeks. It annoyed him to worriment. Addie was his best friend since he remembered moving here. How could she ignore him now? He called and texted her an innumerable amount of times, leaving voicemails in range from "addie, please call me. i'm getting worried." to "adelaide rae james, this is getting ridiculous. you can't ignore me forever." His tone ranged from annoyed and frustrated to just tired or trying. Still, he wasn't the sort to give up. He never believed in lost causes. He knew her avoiding him had something to do with that night. It was just lucky for her he had been too busy with work to do anything other than phone stalk her. But, today Connor finally found a free moment. Taking full advantage, he went straight to Adelaide's place with full intention of finding out what the hell was so wrong she couldn't talk to him about it. Sitting in his Jeep, Connor stared at the house for a while. There was no movement that he could see, but he knew someone was home because there was a vehicle parked in the driveway. After a few minutes, Connor exited his own vehicle and marched to the front door. Normally, he would just invite himself in, knowing he would be easily welcomed. However, under the circumstances, he thought it best to knock.

adelaide rae james

[adelaide rae james]

Soapy romance movies. Lately it seemed like that was all she dedicated her days to. She hadn't been partying, and really, she hadn't been out with her friends much. You almost wouldn't think that Addie was herself. Which, in a way, she wasn't. She'd been freaking out ever since she'd found out that she was pregnant. And, though she was getting by with lying and faking that she was okay around most people, Adelaide couldn't bring herself to talk to the one who really mattered in this situation. Connor. She'd been avoiding him since that stupid party. His texts, calls, and emails were just adding up in her inbox. Addie was surprised that she didn't have letters piling up on her desk from the boy. Granted, she knew that she deserved all of the calls and texts. She had, after all, been avoiding him. But, she couldn't help it. What was she going to say to him when she saw him? She just needed time; Addie was sure that she'd talk to him eventually. He was her best friend. And, Connor wasn't the type of guy to just give up. Lately, his voicemails had been more and more serious. It was only a matter of time until something caved.

But, Addie was okay with that. She'd figure things out in due time. For now, her soapy romance movies were enough for her. The Notebook? Yeah, one would have thought that it was her new obsession from the number of times she'd watched it in the past week. But, her movie was interrupted when she heard a knock at the door. She was about to shout for someone to get it, when she remembered. Mikayla was out, Anthony was out... even her parents were out! Was she the only one without a life in this family?

Sighing, Addie grabbed her tea from the table and stood up. She was still in her pajama pants - what was the point in changing to just lounge all day - but, she didn't mind. Whoever it was probably wasn't anyone she cared about anyhow. Addie fixed her hair in the nearby mirror and walked over to the door. She took a drink of her tea as she pulled it open. However, she nearly spit it back out as she saw who was there.

Connor. The one she had been avoiding all this time. Addie coughed, her tea going down the wrong pipe. It took her a second to regain herself, but then, she forced a smile. She hadn't expected to do this. Not here. Now now. Not today. "Connor?" Addie spoke, her voice clearly showing her surprise. He almost always just invited himself in. Which, Addie was surprisingly glad that he didn't. She would have just been even more caught off guard. "What are you doing here?" Adelaide assumed that she already knew the answer to that, but it didn't hurt to ask.

[conner jason marshton]

As Connor waited on the porch for someone to come to the door, he tried to figure out what he wanted to say. Well, he knew what he wanted to say it was just how to say it. If it wasn't Addie who was home then he would leave a verbal message about stopping by; he'd be back at a later time if she didn't call him first. If Adelaide was in fact the person to answer the door, that was a different story. Normally, he had no problem speaking his mind. He always found that to be the best, straight forward, option. There was no light treading or avoiding, waiting for the other to bring it up first. But this was a bit of a different situation. He slept with his best friend. No doubt he had thoughts of it before, but never did he think it would actually happen. For real. But it did and they couldn't change that. Since it happened, Connor was afraid maybe he had hurt her in some way. He'd even admit it made things different between them, even awkward, but he was ready and willing to talk it out. He didn't want to lose Addie over this, and hoped she felt the same.

Finally, the door opened and it was in fact Adelaide standing there. The surprise was evident on her face. To be honest, that frustrated Connor a little. He knew she saw his messages. "You really need to ask that question?" He replied incredulously. A frown even crinkled his forehead. However, he knew starting off in a mood would do them no good. The less willing Addie would be to talk with him. "You can't keep avoiding me, Addie. We need to talk about what happened. It's the only way to get on with our lives again." He pushed his fists into the pockets of his shorts, looking from her eyes over her shoulder into the house. "Can I come in?" He was ready to whether she gave the O.K. or not, but figured he'd at least give her the chance to say no.

[adelaide rae james]

Addie shifted uneasily in front of Connor. Her grip on her tea tightening with each passing second. She really had never felt awkward in front of the boy. Even since he had moved in, she had pretty much claimed him as her best friend. But at the moment Addie really wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. Why did Connor have to be so persistent? She missed him, yes. But, Addie was still more content with the idea of avoiding him for another couple of weeks if it meant not going through this.

But, that was all a hope. Addie's eyes met Connor's for only a second before a guilty look crossed her face. Oh, she knew perfectly well why he was here. He was right, she didn't need to ask that question. She had a habit of asking unnecessary questions to buy herself time... but really all it was doing was making this worse. Connor already seemed to be a mad mood. Addie really didn't blame him, though. She would be, too, if she were him. It was her fault that they were in this mess altogether. She had made him go to that party. She had slept with him. And now she was avoiding him. Of course he would be mad.

Addie only nodded at his words. She bit her lip slightly, her weight shifting once more. "There's really nothing to talk about. I'm not avoiding you, Connor. If I were truly avoiding you, I wouldn't have opened the door." Okay, so not the best response. And, most of it was, indeed, a lie. Truth was, if Addie had realized that it was Connor at the door, she probably would have freaked out and not opened the door period. Then, she would have went back to her isolation for another week or two until she had a better plan. Or, until Connor caught her off guard again.

"I guess," Addie stated, knowing that Connor was here to stay for a while whether she liked it or not. She hesitated only for a brief second, before stepping back, allowing him to come in with a slight nod. She gave a slight sigh, shoving the door closed behind him. Knowing that they were going to have to talk sooner or later, Addie forced a small smile. "I missed you." She tried, softly. It was true, she had missed talking to him. But, she was also hoping to lessen the blow of what was to come.

[conner jason marshton]

Connor had some idea of how this was going to go just by the expressions flittering across Adelaide's face. Not only that, he had expected it from the beginning. Although, he hadn't anticipated her denial of avoiding him, because frankly it was so blatantly obvious that denying it was just a waste of breath. Connor didn't bother to waste his own breath retaliating, knowing darn well she knew there were things to talk through. He was a man of little words. His body language did a great deal of talking for him and his lips conveyed only the most crucial of thoughts. But, he had a feeling today was going to be more voice than stance. Too much needed to be said. He waited for Addie to step aside and allow him entrance. He stepped into the familiar abode, paused a moment for her to follow then took a seat on the couch. He left room for Addie to sit beside him, but didn't hold his breath. He'd like to, more than anything, take her hands in his and tell her things would be all right if she wanted them to be. If she was upset, he'd take her in his arms. As far as he was concerned, it was a one time thing. It was the heat of the moment and they got carried away. He was more than willing to leave it at that if she wanted.

For a few moments he waited to see if she would say anything. When the words "I missed you" came from her mouth, Connor's face hardened a little. "Then why didn't you answer any of my messages?" It was a legitimate question. She had ample opportunities to stop missing him. All she had to do was pick up the phone or reply to a text. Connor shook his head, clearing his frustration. "Can you just please clue me in on why you've been ignoring me? I'm assuming it's because we had sex, so tell me what I did to make you so upset, because I don't know." Unless it was just the act in itself, he had no idea. "Did I hurt you?" God forbid. He'd never live with himself. He paused, then added on a bit of a lighter note. "Was it just so bad you can't stand to look at me anymore?" Call him conceited, but he didn't think that was it at all.

[adelaide rae james]

If there was one thing that Addie was growing to hate about Connor, it was the fact that he didn't beat around the brush. He had always been a man of little words, and his actions tended to speak for him the most. That bothered Addie. Silence made her feel uncomfortable, uneasy. And, she was getting a lot of that today. Connor wasn't in the best of moods. It was all her fault, the teen was well aware. But, she really wasn't in the best of moods either. She felt awful, she was worried, and, quite frankly, she didn't want to be here right now. It might have been her house, but there were a million other places Addie wished that she could go.

Nonetheless, after pushing the door closed, Addie followed Connor down the small hall to the den. His expression seemed to harden at her words, and Addie closed her eyes for a second. She hesitated for a second, before sitting down on the far end of the couch. She placed her tea on the table, next to her pile of clutter, and then reached for the remote and pressed mute. They really didn't need 'The Notebook' to be chiming in while they talked. They had enough to worry about.

The teen now pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she faced Connor. She still hadn't answered his question. She really didn't know what to say. Everything that came to mind didn't fit or just sounded like another lie. Finally, she gave a small shrug, "I don't know, Connor. Okay?" Addie bit her lip, her voice rather soft now. Her friend was frustrated with her, she knew. And normally, she really wouldn't have cared. But, she did care about Connor and his opinion. And, she didn't really want to make things worse.

His next couple of questions made the girl feel slightly guilty. Addie wanted to cave in and tell him, she honestly did. But she couldn't do it. Not now. What would she say? How would she say it? Nothing just seemed right. Addie closed her eyes and shook her head. She could feel a headache starting. Finally, she opened her eyes, glancing past Connor to the wall. "Oh, god. No, Connor, you didn't hurt me!" A slight look of panic crossed her face. She couldn't have him thinking that. Her eyes stayed on him for a second, before she cracked a slight smile at his question. "Honestly, Connor?" The teen smirked lightly, leaving it at that for a few seconds, "It wasn't bad at all."

Addie wasn't about say that she didn't enjoy it. It wasn't like the thought of sleeping with Connor hadn't crossed her head before that night. Did she actually expect it to happen? Not really. But the thought had been there and she really didn't want Connor thinking that it was anything he had done to her. Her smile faded now, and the girl finally replied to the initial question. "It wasn't anything you did. Can we just leave it at that?"

[conner jason marshton]

There weren't many people Connor slept with. He could count them on two hands. Not even full hands. One thing he is good about is being careful. Sure he liked to get rough, but never to the point where he was hurting his partner. He was always the considerate guy, asking if she was okay. He was always up for a quickie to take the edge off, but when it came down to it he'd rather work up to the sex. The foreplay was half the fun. Which was why he would never forgive himself if he had hurt Addie. Yes, he had had a few drinks but he wasn't out of it. He never had any intention of even attending the party until Addie begged him because she didn't want to go alone. Truth be told, he hadn't wanted her to go alone either and if that meant he had to go then so be it. Obviously, things didn't turn out the way either of them planned. Still, Connor wasn't sorry it happened. Maybe now, a little bit, seeing how Adelaide was reacting.

Adelaide debunked his theories almost at once. If he hadn't harmed her or shamed himself, then what? Were people talking smack? He didn't think anyone knew but the two of them, and maybe Addie's twin sister. It wasn't like they did it in front of everyone. Even though he was still frustrated, his ego was boosted a little more when Addie admitted it wasn't bad. He still felt like she wasn't opening up to him, especially after her last statement. "If it wasn't me, then who was it? It's obvious something from that night is eating at you, why can't you tell me?" He kept his voice level and gentle. Now he was beginning to feel hurt that she didn't want to tell him. Or couldn't? He wasn't too sure. "Come on Ad, whatever it is you know I'm here for you. You used to be able to tell me anything. It's worrying me that this is so serious you won't let me in." He didn't like seeing her this way. He wanted to help make things better if he could, but he couldn't do that without knowing what the problem was. He paused, leaning back against the couch and shifted his gaze slightly to the carpet. "Are you regretting that night? Because I'm not. Sure, I hadn't expected things to go that far, but the fact is, they did. We can't take them back, and I don't want to." His eyes averted back to Addie. "You know you're my best friend and I love you. I can love you in more ways than one, but if you want to just forget it even happened then... well, I can respect your wishes." He'd never forget, nor did he want to, but he wouldn't bring it up if that was what she wanted.

[adelaide rae james]

Addie rested her head on her knees, studying her friend for a few seconds. His voice was more level now, gentle even, and Addie was starting to feel guilty for holding back from him. She felt torn. On one hand, she knew that she should tell him. He was right; she used to tell him nearly everything. And, she knew that it was worrying him by not telling him this. But, on the other hand, Addie was scared. She was worried at how the boy would react. What if she lost him? What if he'd regret going to that party with her? Or, worse, what if he'd regret being her friend? She knew that she would have to tell him eventually. And, she knew that avoiding him and holding back from him was only causing her more problems. But, still. The teenager had never liked the unknown. And, she'd held out this long. What was another couple of weeks? She at least needed to get some idea in her head of how he would react. She needed time just to... prepare.

The girl just listened to his words, slightly shaking her head at each of his questions. Even if his questions really weren't yes or no questions, Addie still felt the need to answer them that way. "I just- it's nothing, Connor." That wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, and she knew that there was no possible way for him to help her from an answer like that. But, Addie also knew that there really was no way that Connor could help her anyhow. Or, at least, she assumed as much. It was her fault that she was in this mess, anyhow. She was the one who had been dying to go to that party. 'The party of the year,' as she had called it. And, she was the one that had begged and pleaded with him to go to with her. As if going alone was really that bad. If it hadn't been for that, they wouldn't be in this mess.

Her eyes shifted down to her toes now. She couldn't keep this up. He asked if she regretted it, and Addie sighed softly. Under any other circumstances, she wouldn't have regretted sleeping with him. In fact, she probably wouldn't have thought anything of it at all. She just wished that she had been more careful. Adelaide hesitated for a second before looking up to meet Connor's gaze. Was it to harsh to say that she regretted it? He'd probably just think it was because she didn't want them to be more than friends. She really didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"It's not that I regret it," Addie said, another sigh escaping her lips. She held Connor's gaze, letting his words sink in for a second or two before continuing. "I just don't know what to think... er, rather what to make of it. That's all, Connor." At least that much was partially true. Addie wasn't about to tell him anymore. Not yet. He could take that as he wanted and she'd sort the mess out later.

[conner jason marshton]

The fight was running out in Connor. He didn't know what else to do or say to get her to spit it out. All he seemed to be doing was repeatedly asking her to tell him, just in different words every time. It was trying and tiring. The late night before wasn't helping matters either. If she didn't want to tell him, he couldn't force it out of her. But he had no idea what could possibly be bothering her. She says it wasn't anything he did, but he somehow thought that was a lie. What else could it have been? He hadn't left her side all evening, except the few minutes he went to use the toilet. Maybe something happened in that short span of time she wasn't telling him. Thinking back, he tried to gauge the events after his return. He didn't remember any change in Addie; he surely would have noticed that right away. Until she confessed to him, this was going to be eating him up slowly from the inside out. It was already taking a toll on his emotions, but he kept himself strong even though he wanted to punch a wall.

It wasn't helping matters, either, that Adelaide was answering him so vaguely. Rubbing a hand over his face in frustration, Connor dropped his gaze back to the room and sat in silence for a while, mulling things over. He was really at a loss now. She spoke with such finality, Connor figured retaliating would just be wasted breath. This whole visit seemed like a waste of time in hindsight. Finally, Connor spoke. "I guess that's it then... " Without looking at her, Connor rose from the couch. He wasn't going to waste any more of his day off fighting a losing battle. He walked around the couch, stopping briefly behind Addie. "Call me when you're ready to talk. I'll be sure to answer." Yeah, that was a bit of a dig, but can you blame him? He tried his darnedest to talk with her, offer some words of comfort if they were needed. The way he talked you would think he was done calling or texting Addie until she took the initiative, but that wasn't true. It would probably last a day or two before he started again. He wasn't particularly patient.

ooc- do you want to end the thread here and start one at the hospital? i can if you don't have time. =)

[adelaide rae james]

Addie bit her lip, anticipating whatever remark Connor would come up with next. She knew she hadn't given him much to work with. But, it wasn't her fault that he showed up unannounced! She needed time to plan for these things. Adelaide studied her friend cautiously, waiting for another round of questions that'd she'd have to give answers to. She knew he was frustrated; she was amazed that he had stayed calm this long. But, she was done with this conversation. She told him all that she was willing to tell him for now, and that would just have to be enough. She'd tell him the rest when she was ready, when she figured out what exactly she planned to say.

Addie was surprised when the questions didn't show up. Her eyes quickly averted from Connor as he began to speak. He words seemed so... final. So, simple. Addie was suddenly fearful that she had caused more damage than intended. He was never that blunt to her. Addie watched as he rose from the couch, not even looking her way. It was abnormal for him, and she frowned. He was done here, she knew. He must have realized that she was done with her answers. Connor then turned, walking past her to get out. Addie tensed up slightly as he stopped behind her, bracing herself for whatever words or actions she was sure would come next.

"Call me when you're ready to talk. I'll be sure to answer."

Ouch. Addie glared at the wall in front of her, now not bothering to look his direction. She didn't need this. He didn't, no he wouldn't, understand. And, she wasn't about to make him. From the sound of his voice, he was done with the countless calls and texts. Addie closed her eyes, her tone now rather blunt. "Goodbye, Connor." And, with those two simple words, the teen waited on him to go. She felt bad letting him go on such a sour note. But, she wasn't about to cave now. She'd tell him when she was ready. And, she just hoped that things would be okay between them whenever that was.


(( sure, that sounds good. (: ))