The Redemption Stage (Book 2: The Second Chance)

The Real World (8) Gray

After finding 'the secret room' we all mutually agreed to name it, Joy spent most of her time in there, she would spend her time in there for hours at a time and not come out. I tried to follow her in there sometimes, but she always pushed me to get out.

I trusted her, but you can't blame me for being a bit curious. "Joy! Can I come in now?" I asked through the fire place. To a normal and unaware person, I look totally psychotic and should be put in a mental institution, but there's no one normal here around here for miles.

"No!" I heard her say back, but being the rebellious and stubborn person I am, I didn't listen to her.

"Yeah, okay." I said as I crawled through the painting's hole.

"What are you doing? Get out!" She said sharply, trying to push me back out of the room.

"But I want to see you!" I said defensively mix rooting myself in place.

Joy may be a hitter in volleyball, which is very scary and such, but she's so weak it's almost adorable. I mean it is adorable.

"Is it bad that I wanted to see you?" I asked her innocently. "Either way, I'm not leaving so... Deal with it." I moved away from her and headed towards the couch where she had a stack of papers.

"What's all this, Hermoine Granger? Gosh!" I took one of the forms and held it just out of Joy's reach. It would have been easier if she was shorter than me, but I still managed to read what was on the paper.

"It's just stuff!" She tried to say and reach for it, but it was just out of reach.

The paper when I read it slightly made me sad, but yet... I didn't know how to feel. It read:

Texan College Applications
Doctoral, Bachelors, Masters
Form Recipient: Joy Peters
Application Due: August 7
Child Psychology
Full Name:______________________
Birth Date: __/__/__

Why have you decided to choose this field of work?
•5 page essay (encouraged to exceed the limit)
•send to email listed at bottom

"College? In Texas? You're planning on going back?" I asked, a bit appalled.

"Umm, yeah... I have family over there and the colleges are amazing... I was going to tell you if I got in but... It was just a matter of filling it out for now." Joy tried to explain; the look on my face probably gave away my feelings.

"Please don't be mad, I was meaning to tell you... Just never got around to it. Please don't let this turn into a cliche, just don't." She said, taking her stack of papers from the couch and placing them on the table.

She sat down on the couch and patter the spot next to her. "Let's talk before anything else happens."

I sat down and we started talking, nothing much more to say than that.

"Child psychologist? What did make you want to pursue that dream?" I questioned her first.

"I love kids, you know. It just seemed like the right path to take for me." She explained briefly. "What about you? Have you chosen yet?"

"Not officially, no. But a biochemist since I really love science and such. I have a little over a year to choose left, sure it's a tight fit, but I want to make sure I truly want to be one before I go into the wrong job." I told her truthfully.

"I'm sure you'll choose the right career, not to be that person, but you better choose quickly, I was planning on starting in my first year, but waiting a year is fine too." She suggested, I guess you can call that suggesting. "Where ware you planning on going?"

I'm guessing she meant the state and college, "Somewhere across the country, I want to see how it's like in other places that aren't the east."

"Long distance." I heard her mutter under her breath.

"We'll be fine, love, I trust this." I said encouragingly, giving her a hug.

"And what exactly is this?" She asked challengingly.

"It's what I just called you." I said seriously. We say 'I love you' sometimes, but it's always jokingly. Something was different with this time, and I feel like she senses it too, it was true and real. Set in stone.

"Love you too." She said to me. We kinda just stayed there for who knows how long, just basking in the moments left that we have wth each other before the inevitable comes, separation for education.

After an hour or so of comfortable silence, we decided to go and do something entertaining.

"Let's round up the other two and play volleyball outside, it's a good day for it!" She suggested. Joy always gets a light in her eyes and a big smile on her face whenever she talks about something she loves.

"Sure, but I want to be in your team." I said. We called the others down and went outside, grabbing the volleyball that Joy always keeps in the car

There was a small clearing a little ways away from the cabin itself, a bit up trial.

We played for hours, having fun until the sun went down. The other team, which consisted of Jax and Mel, put up a pretty good fight. They were both really good servers and just overall really good at the sport. I was then told that Mel used to play a few years ago.

Even though I did nothing and Joy basically played a two against one, we still won. I was a soccer person, not a volleyball person.

After the game, we decided to sit along the rocky edge and watch the sunset. Something cheesy and romantic, suggested by none other than my main man, Jax.

It was about 6PM when we finally went back inside, we were all starving and surprisingly, Mel suggested we order something.

I guess she was as tired as everyone else from that intense, very intense, game of volleyball.

I should probably take a shower, I was freezing cold but sweating... Homeostasis. Reasons why I should work with something related to the science field...

I walked upstairs as the others decided what to eat. It's been a year and some, but I've never felt closer to three people in my entire life. It's like I've known them their whole lives. Living in our small town, I basically did, but I never knew what they liked. I only knew who they were, the inseparable three.

I hopped into the shower and did the things you do in a shower, then got out and changed into warm clothes... Well if you could consider a high school alumni t-shirt and basketball shorts warm, Joy begs to differ but it's warm to me.

I went downstairs to see that they had decided on pizza. We all crowded on the floor around the coffee table, moving the couches slightly backwards so we could all fit. We sat in front of our fake fire and watched TV, Cinderella by choice of the girls.

We spent the rest of the night in peaceful silence. Just kidding, have you met these girls? They are too weird for their own good...