Call of Distress

Call of Distress

          As I look into his dreamy blue eyes, I can remember my life before I met him. To put it bluntly, my life sucked! From the time I was five, my parents beat and abused me. They always told me I was worthless and had no reason to live. For hours on end I would sit and stare at the scars and bruises, wishing somehow they would just disappear from my body forever. I remember how I would sneak over to my grandmothers while my father, in a drunken rage, would tear the house apart and my mother would sit on the couch smoking her weed, pot, or whatever else she had. My grandmother, the one person who actually believed me when I told her I was abused, took my parents to court saying they were bad parents but my cunning father was friends’ with the judge and he was able to get away with everything. Several months later my grandmother died. The authorities said it was because of old age but I say my mother slipped poison into her glass one day and killed her. Of course no one would believe a teenager over her parents. My godfather, John Matthews, was no help. You would think your own godfather would help you but not mine. He was always on my father’s side even though the bruises told a different story. After my grandmother died I had no place to go. The one time I ran away to my friend Joan French’s house my father found me and dragged me home. After that he would lock the door to my room when I got home from school and he put bars on the windows of my room to make sure I wouldn’t be able to get out.

             Then came the best day of my life, the day my parents died. I came home from school one day and the house was ablaze. Firefighters were swarming the house, trying to put out the blaze. It seemed that it was the happiest and saddest day of my life for the horrible people I was forced to call parents were trapped inside, but on the other hand everything I owned perished along with them. I took shelter at my friend Joan house while the courts decided what to do with me. After considering the many possibilities they decided to ship me off to live with my aunt Margaret King, Meg for short, in Chicago. I had never met Meg in my life, but my mother would talk about how she was an insufferable git who spent her entire fortune on worthless junk. She also made it clear that my aunt had no reason to live. The day I left for Chicago I can still remember the pain I felt at leaving my friends though at the same time I was scared to death and excited all at the same time. I had no clue if I would ever see them again, but in my heart I always kept hope. When I arrived in Chicago, I was greeted by Meg who surprisingly looked a great deal like me with long dark red hair and beautiful green eyes. I was able to recognize her from a picture the court had given me to indicate who she was. The car ride to her house seemed to last forever with neither one of us speaking. Meg’s house was enormous and beautiful. Only once I was settled into a room did we really start to talk. She heard from my grandmother about how I was abused and never really had a family life. We soon went shopping for some new clothes, since most of mine were destroyed in the fire. We passed a music store where I saw the one thing I had wanted all my life. An electric guitar. Aunt Meg saw me staring at it and I confided the secret which I had never told anyone. Ever since I had learned what a guitar was I had wanted one. During Christmas my wish came true and I found a guitar wrapped up in its box waiting for me. We immediately took it out and Meg began to teach me. Surprisingly she turned out to be really good. She told me that back in the day she had belonged to a band called the Wild Cats. Sadly the band quit when the bass player and drummer both married and one moved to California and the other to New Mexico. Within just a few weeks I was able to play full songs. Aunt Meg taught me how to put my anger toward my parents in my music. I started high school after Christmas break. The first few days were the hardest because I had no clue where all my classes were or who anyone was. Then came the day when Alex Nott introduced herself to me. She had extremely long black hair with dark brown eyes and the flare of an artist. Alex was originally from North Carolina but she was here in Chicago to live with her sister because her father was dead and her mother in the hospital. When she was thinking, she would wear her black top hat. She always told me it helped to inspire her. It was like her muse. I met her in the lunch room when she invited me to sit with her and her friends’ Lex, Jamie, and Monica. I personally didn’t like Jamie or Monica but Lex was different. She always seemed to know exactly what to say. Within time Alex and I grew closer. I confided my past to her and she swore not to tell anyone. Her artistic flare seemed to rub off on me and my music soon grew more and more. Most people at school looked down their noses at me because I was an outsider with a secret past. I always wore long sleeved shirts or a jacket to hide the scars on my arms. Alex, Lex, and I spent many hours at the mall or the local coffee shop talking and doing our homework. It was after Lex moved at the beginning of our senior year that the group broke up. Jamie and Monica started to spread rumors about me. They called me a slut and a whore who got kicked out of at least 13 different schools. I was also believed to be involved in a bank robbery, and the reason for my long sleeved shirts was because of a tattoo which would easily identify me. I think they did it because Alex and I were so close. The final showdown happened when Alex, filled with rage, punched Jamie after she started talking badly about me and spreading more rumors. Monica jumped onto Alex’s back and that’s when I jumped in to help my best friend because after all it was me she was defending. The four of us were suspended for two days and Jamie and Monica switched schools. All that was left of the group was Alex and I. It was only after we were out of college that we found out that Lex was killed at a shooting at her new school. On graduation day we decided it would be amusing to walk down the stage in our matching top hats, and boots with our black collared shirts, blue vests, and red ties. The principle of our school just smiled, shook his bald head, and gave us our diplomas. That night, instead of going on our senior trip, we had our own party at Meg’s while she went out. We blared music, watched movies, and pigged out on food all night long.

          Sometime during the night, around midnight, there was a knock at the door. I got up so see whom it was thinking it was Aunt Meg and she had forgotten the key but instead I opened the door to find my good friend Joan. She had given up her senior trip to come see me. We had a blast catching up on things. She told me how the school had burned down during spring break and everyone was forced to use trailer houses as classrooms. The funny thing was we were always joking about how we would, one day, set the school on fire. I told Joan about how I met Alex and the fun we had together. We continued our partying until late in the morning when we fell asleep where we sat, the TV still going. Sometime Aunt Meg had come home and turned the TV off and covered the three of us with a blanket. The next week was spent on Alex and me showing Joan around Chicago and taking her to see our favorite places. The best being the coffee shop on Harvey Street. Alex and I spent many days there talking, laughing, and doing our schoolwork, or should I say trying to do our schoolwork but always ending up in fits of laughter. The next week Joan had to leave to go home to prepare for college.

               At the end of August Alex and I were readying ourselves to go to college. The two of us had been accepted to the University of Chicago on scholarships. We planned to share an apartment and stay up late partying all night long. As time went on, our partying days were less and less until there were barley any left. Then one day we had enough. We threw down our pens and headed to a local club. The band that was playing there was called Lovehammers. They were from Chicago but I had never heard of them which was quite bad since they were really good. When the band finally took a break their lead singer came over and sat down by me. Let me tell you this, he was hot with his blue eyes and blonde hair. We got to talking about our lives and I soon confessed to him about my past. He told me about how the band had formed when they were fourteen. He soon went back to singing but ever so often I could see him staring at me. Alex soon found me and decided it was time to leave after some drunk idiot tried to hit on her and she almost got into a fight over who knows what. Marty then made eye contact with me and I mouthed to him that I had to leave. He nodded his head to show that he understood me and we left the club. We went back to the apartment and went to bed since it was about two in the morning by the time we got back and we had classes the next day. At lunch Marty, the hot singer from the club, came and sat with us at our table. I was surprised to see him. I introduced him to Alex, who couldn’t remember anything that happened the night before, and we started talking and I realized how sweet he was. From that day onward he came and sat with us at lunch, and helped us with our work so we could go out and see him and his band play more often. I soon realized I needed a job so Marty helped me get a job as a waitress in the club he played at most often that way I could spend more time with him. The rest of his band consisted of bass player Dino Kourelis, drums Bobby Kourelis, and guitar Billy Sawilchik. When I would get off of work, the guys would take Alex and me out for dinner at some restaurant. When I look back now, I realize how those were some of the best days of my life. They all knew about my past but they didn’t judge me. They were my best friends.

          For Christmas break Alex decided to go home to North Carolina to see her family, and Aunt Meg went to go visit some friends in California so I was all alone with the house and the apartment we shared all to myself. After about a day of being bored out of my mind, I invited Marty, Dino, Bobby, and Billy over for dinner and a movie. Everyone except Marty declined saying they had other things to attend too so for that night it would be just me and Marty which would be just fine since I found myself growing closer and closer to him. Seeing as how it was just the two of us I ordered pizza since I was too lazy to cook. After the pizza arrived, Marty and I settled to watch the Titanic. Though both of us had already seen several times, it was the only thing available at the video store that was actually worth watching. I was falling asleep on Marty’s shoulder when the phone rang. I went into the kitchen to answer it. “Hello,” the voice on the other end said, “is Elizabeth Grey at home?” I told her yes and she proceeded to tell me that Miss Alex Nott was hit by a drunk driver and is currently in the Scott and White hospital in North Carolina and they weren’t able to get in touch with anyone else. “Oh my God” is all I could say as I hung up the phone and sank to the floor, tears rolling down my cheeks. Immediately Marty was at my side holding me and stroking my hair asking me what was wrong. Between sobs I was able to tell him what had happened. He picked me up and carried me to the couch and sat me down. He handed me a tissue and whipped out his cell phone to call the airport and book two tickets to North Carolina. He packed me a suitcase and then returned to the couch to comfort me. He put his arms around me as I cried into his chest soaking his shirt. He sat there patting my back and rocking me back and forth till my tears finally ran out and were reduced to only a trickle. He looked at the clock and told me if we didn’t leave soon we would miss our flight. I slept the entire way to North Carolina like a baby with Marty there beside me the entire time. After we got off the plane, we caught a cab which took us to the Scott and White medical hospital where we were immediately shown to the intensive care unit. Marty waited in the waiting room since they only allowed one person in the room at a time. Alex looked so pale and lifeless. Her left leg and right arm were in a cast and her left eye looked swollen. Just then the doctor came in to check up on her. I asked her if she would be ok and he told me that everything depended on the next few nights. She was in a coma right now and he really had no clue what would happen. There was a fifty percent chance that she would wake up and a fifty percent chance she wouldn’t. Even if she did manage to wake up there would be a chance of brain trauma due to the blow she took to her head. At these words, tears ran down my cheeks as I ran from Alex’s room straight into the arms of Marty. I couldn’t stand the thought of Alex, my best friend ever, lying so helplessly in the hospital fighting for her life. Marty guided me to a chair where he sat me down. He then went to Alex’s room to see for himself how she was. When he came out of Alex’s room, I could see the tears in his eyes. He wordlessly went to the payphone and called Bobby to let the guys know what had happened. As soon as he was finished, he came back and sat down next to me. He put my hand in his and held onto it tight as we sat there waiting, wishing, hoping and praying Alex would wake up and be all right. We didn’t leave our spots until the clock struck 8:30 p.m. and we realized how hungry we were. Marty asked a nurse where the best place to eat would be and where we could find a hotel. Marty took down the information and thanked the nurse. He made a call to the hotel to book two rooms. He then took me by the hand and led me out of the hospital where he flagged down a cab and told a driver to take us to Chili’s. I barley touched my food, even though I was starving, since my mind was on Alex and I wouldn’t have eaten anything if Marty hadn’t of told me I wouldn’t be any help to Alex if I didn’t keep up my strength. After I’d eaten enough to satisfy Marty, we went and got into another cab. I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up I was in bed at the hotel.

          I grabbed my stuff and went to go take a hot shower. While in the bathroom I heard the room door open and Marty walk in. I heard the tv click on and I guess he sat down on the bed to watch it. I finished my shower, put on fresh clothes, and sat down by Marty on the bed. He suggested we go grab some breakfast and then go check up on Alex. I agreed and we went down to the lobby to grab some doughnuts. We ate our breakfast in silence watching the news which happened to be broadcasting Alex’s crash. I just couldn’t watch them pulling her out of her destroyed car. It was horrible. I could feel Marty grasp my hand tight as the news people talked to a couple of witnesses. We finished breakfast and went back to the hospital. When we got there Alex’s sister, Connie, was there talking to a doctor with her husband Jeremy. I had only met Connie a few times but from what I knew about her she was just like Alex. Now Jeremy on the other hand, was down to earth and only talented in computers. Connie came over to me and gave me a hug telling me that Alex was strong and she would get through it. She told me that since I had been there last night, that Alex’s condition hadn’t changed any and all we could do was wait and see what happens. So, we sat there waiting, speaking very little and wondering what would happen. After a while, I decided I needed some fresh air. I announced where I was going. Marty volunteered to go with me so away we went. We walked around the hospital looking at the many different flowers and statues they had there. I guess they put the flowers and statues there to try and cheer up the place but it didn’t seem to help my mood any. Somehow we ran across the maternity ward where we got to look at the newborns. They were so small and delicate looking. When we got back to the ICU, Connie came bounding up to us with the news that Alex was awake and ok and she was asking to see me. Tears of joy sprang from my eyes as I went into her room. She still looked bad but at least she was awake and smiling. When she started to talk, her voice was a little bit shaky and she sounded like she could use a good night’s rest. The tears kept rolling down my cheeks as I told her how worried I was and how glad I am that she was ok. She told me everything would be all right and she gave me that funky smile of hers. After we exchanged a few more words, I told Alex I would be back later but I’d best give someone else a chance to see her. I left the room and Marty went in to see Alex, seeing as how Connie and Jeremy had been with her since she woke up right after Marty and I left for our walk.

(Marty’s POV)

          When Elizabeth and I heard the news that Alex would be ok I could see Liz’s face light up. I hadn’t seen her this happy in a long time. When Liz went into Alex’s room Connie and Jeremy called me over to them. "You like her don’t you," Connie asked me. At first I was stunned. How did she figure it out so fast? I’d loved her since the first moment I laid eyes on her. I just didn’t know if she felt the same way about me. I told Connie this and she just shook her head and laughed. She told me that when Alex first woke up she had asked who all was here. When Connie told her and Elizabeth and I were here she told Connie her suspicion about how she thought I liked her and she liked me. Liz then came out of Alex’s room and I went in to take my turn talking to Alex. She was sitting up in her bed smiling that smile that Elizabeth would call funky. I smiled back at her as I moved to sit in the seat next to her bed. I told her how happy I was to see her ok. She then surprised me by asking me if I loved Elizabeth. I was taken off guard and my mouth immediately dropped. "Marty your mouth is hanging open." Alex said "You know she likes you too. She just doesn’t let anyone know. You know how hard it is for her to trust people after what happened with her parents. Would you just ask her out already?! Don’t you realize that Dino, Bobby, Billy, and I set you up? I mean I got out of the house and they didn’t come over so you two could have some alone time. Do you need me to say it straight out?" I didn’t know what to say. I just sat there and looked at her while she gave me a look that if looks could kill I would have been dead. “Now get out of here,” she told me, "and go tell her you love her." She gave me another one of those looks and I left her room.

(Liz’s POV)

          When Marty came out of Alex’s room, he had this strange look on his face. I had no clue what Alex said to him but it must have gotten him thinking because he sat down on one of the chairs and just sat there staring at the wall. After a while I got up and asked him to come outside with me. I had to find out what was wrong. He wordlessly stood up and walked out with me. I took him to one of the benches, sat down, and motioned for him to sit next to me. I took his hands in mine and looked him in the eyes. "Marty you know you can tell me anything," I said "now what’s wrong?" He hung his head and muttered something I couldn’t hear. "Come on Marty," I said "I can’t hear you." "I love you" he blurted out as he raised his head and then lowered it, like he didn’t know what to do. "I love you too," I told him. "You do?" he asked as he raised his head in surprise. "Yes" I said, "I do love you. How could I not when you rushed me up here to see my best friend? You’re the one person who didn’t care if I wore long sleeves to hide my bruises or put up with my terrible cooking. You were there for me. Marty you were there for me when I needed you the most." At that he looked up, took me in his embrace and kissed me. We walked hand in hand back to the waiting room where Connie stood with one of the biggest smiles on her face that I’d seen in a long time.

         We stayed in North Carolina with Alex until she was well enough to be moved to a private room. She would have to stay in the hospital for a few more weeks but she kept getting better and better each day. Marty and I had to leave soon after because I needed to return to work and the band needed Marty. A few days after we got home, Marty and the band were called to go to New York to play at a wedding for an old friend and to stay and visit for a few weeks. They invited me along but I unfortunately had to decline do to the fact that I had several things to do plus work. I mostly tried to clean up the house, but it was just way too messy. Marty would call every night to check up on me and make sure I was ok. One Sunday I was sleeping on the couch after a long day of work when the doorbell rang. I got up to see who it was, and there stood my godfather John with and evil grin on his face. "Hello Elizabeth" he said. "It’s so good to see you. Now I do believe we have some business to take care of".

(Marty’s POV)

          When I called Liz on Sunday to see how she was she didn’t answer her dorm phone or her cell. I tried to call her every hour after that but she didn’t pick up. When Monday evening came around and she still hadn’t answered any of my calls I began to get worried. I told the guys on Wednesday morning that I would have to cut the trip a little short because I had a bad feeling that something horrible had happened to Liz. I caught the first plane back to Chicago and rushed over to Liz’s apartment only to find the door unlocked, the place an even worse mess than what it had been when I left, and Liz lying on the floor bloodied up. I rushed over to her. Thankfully she was still alive. I took her in my arms and carried her to the bed. I found some rubbing alcohol and some bandages in the bathroom cabinet and began trying to clean her up. After a while, I had most of her cuts bandaged up, and she was beginning to wake up. I heard her muttering my name over and over again. I softly whispered to her that everything would be all right. She slowly opened her eyes and I could see the tears forming. "Oh Marty" she said as the tears came pouring down her face. "It was John. He just showed up and he . . . he beat me. He said it was all my fault my parents were dead. He said I was a no good, dirty rotten scoundrel." I held onto her tight as she cried and cried. "Liz" I said "do you think you can tell me where he went? The police may be able to find him. If you know anything, you have to tell me now." "No" she stuttered "I don’t know where he went to. He . . . he was drunk . . . I think." "I’m not going to leave you alone for another moment," I told her. "I’m going to take you to my place so come on and lets get your stuff packed."

(Liz’s POV)

         Marty helped me pack up some clothes and he then carried me down to my car, seeing as how his was at his house, he put me in the front seat and drove off. I scooted over to him and laid my head against his side. I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up I was at Marty’s apartment lying covered by a blanket on his bed. I had only been to his place a few times and those times we had only stayed a few minutes. I got up and wondered into what appeared to be the living room where Marty was talking on the phone to someone. When he saw me, he motioned for me to come sit next to him on the couch. He finished the call and hung up. "Feeling better?" he asked me. "A little" I told him as he began to massage my sore aching shoulders. "I called Billy to let him know why I ran off back to Chicago" he told me "he said him and the rest of the boys would be back tomorrow." I could feel myself falling back asleep as Marty continued to massage my shoulders.

(Marty’s POV)

          After Elizabeth was asleep, I moved her into a more comfortable position where her head was on my chest. I held her close and looked at her sleeping peacefully. She had been through so much in her life but yet when she was sleeping she looked so happy and peaceful. Like nothing had ever happened to her. I wrapped my arms around her and drifted off to sleep. I woke up to the ringing of the phone. I gently lifted Elizabeth up and gently laid her back down where she rolled over and went right on sleeping. I picked up the phone and went in the kitchen to answer the call who turned out to be my mother making sure I was still alive.

(Liz’s POV)

         When I woke up, Marty was on the phone again. He finished his conversation and came and sat down on the couch right next to me. He suggested we go grab some dinner real fast and go home and watch a movie. I agreed and we climbed into his car to go to Cheddars for some food. At the restaurant Billy called asking if we could come pick them up at the airport and take them home. We finished our food and drove to the airport and finally found the guys sitting on their luggage waiting for us. On the way home Marty filled in Billy, Dino, and Bobby about what had happened and how I would be staying with him. We dropped Dino and Bobby off at their apartment and Billy off at his girlfriends. I fell asleep on Marty’s lap after we dropped Billy off. When we got home Marty carried me to the couch and sat down with my head in his lap watching tv. When I woke up, Marty had fallen asleep without turning the TV off. I got up, found a blanket and wrapped it around him. The clock on the entertainment center struck 9:00 A.M. Marty slept on while I went into the kitchen to make breakfast. I went to the fridge and found absolutely nothing. Guess I would be going to the supermarket. I grabbed my car keys and left to go get some bacon and eggs

(Marty’s POV)

         When I woke up, Liz was gone. I searched the house high and low but no trace of her was found. I called Dino and Billy to see if she had gone to see them and forgot to tell me. I grabbed my keys and was fixing to go find her when Elizabeth walked through the door balancing a shopping bag. "Where were you?" I asked. "I went shopping to find some breakfast." she said. "Why didn’t you leave me a note? I was worried about you!" I told her. "I’m sorry Marty" she said "I didn’t think you would be awake." "Next time leave a note so I don’t freak out." I told her. "Now what about breakfast? I’m starving." "Coming right up" she said. Liz went in the kitchen to make breakfast while I went to take a hot shower. While getting dressed, I could smell the bacon frying. By the time I was in the kitchen Elizabeth had the food on the table ready to go.

(Liz’s POV)

         I stayed with Marty for a few more weeks. After that Alex came back and she needed someone to help her around seeing as how she was still on crutches. School continued as boring as ever, and I got to see Marty less and less each week. Finally school ended and Marty graduated. He planned to become a real estate agent. Even though I didn’t agree with it. I thought the band should try and get signed with someone but I didn’t say anything and let him go on his way. During the summer I took on an extra job to help pay for the rent and Alex’s doctor bills. We had a good time, when I was home, laughing and remembering the good old times. The next few yeas seemed to pass in a blur. Before we realized it, Alex and I were graduating. When we received our diplomas, I can remember looking at Marty’s smiling face. A few weeks after graduation Marty, Alex, Dino, Billy, Bobby, and I were hanging out at Marty’s place when my cell phone rang.

(Marty’s POV)

         Liz walked into the other room after she got off the phone. She seemed to be shaken up about something but I didn’t know what so I followed her. I found her on my bed crying into the pillows. She looked up when I came in and then buried her head back into the pile of pillows. I walked over, sat down on the bed, and pulled her over to me. She buried her head in my lap as the tears poured out. "Liz, what’s wrong? What happened?" I asked her. "It’s Aunt Meg. She . . . She’s gone!" she said as she cried and cried. I held her close and gently rocked her back and forth. "Now tell me what’s going on." I told her. "I don’t know." she stuttered. "Her neighbor, Mrs. Kemp, called and said they . . . they found her in her bed this morning when she didn’t answer her phone or the door . . . they think she died in her sleep. They want me to . . . to come over there but I just can’t." She sat there crying as I rocked her back and forth telling her everything would be all right.

(Dino’s POV)

         When Marty came out of his room, Liz wasn’t with him. He picked up the phone and made a call to someone by the name of Mrs. Kemp. He exchanged a few words with her and hung up. He went over to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and came back. "What happened to Liz?" Alex asked as she took a sip of her Dr. Pepper. Marty looked at us, shook his head and said Aunt Meg had passed away. Alex rushed over to Marty’s room with tears in her eyes. Meg had been like a mother to her. Bobby went to the fridge and got out three beers for the rest of us. We sat there in silence drinking our beers. Alex and Liz emerged later both red eyed and extremely sad. Liz walked over to where Marty was, sat down on his lap, grabbed his beer, and took a swig. Neither of the girls said anything the rest of the day.

(Bobby’s POV)

         The funeral was set for Saturday at 10:30. We stayed at Marty’s the night we found out about Meg so Liz and Alex wouldn’t be alone. The news really hit hard for Liz. She refused to eat anything and if any of us managed to get something down her throat it wasn’t very much. She spent most of her time in Marty’s room looking at photos of her and Meg while crying her heart out. The day of the funeral Liz was a mess. She didn’t speak at all she just stood next to Marty with tears dripping from her eyes. In truth I don’t think she truly ever recovered from losing Meg. During the next few weeks her mood didn’t seem to improve any. She spent her days and nights locked in her room. She didn’t want to speak to anyone including Marty. She ate very little and each time I saw her she looked thinner and thinner. After three weeks time Marty got tired of Liz moping around and he confronted her. I don’t know what he said but it seemed to work because she snapped back into her old self. In her will Meg left Liz everything. Liz and Alex moved from the apartment they were living into Meg’s house.

(Liz’s POV)

         Aunt Meg’s death hit me hard. When she died so did my music along with a piece of my heart. When I got the news I felt like my heart was being ripped to shreds. I couldn’t bear to see anyone for weeks after her death. Alex wanted to become a lawyer so she went to law school while I worked full time in Joe’s bar. I got to see Dino, Billy, and Bobby almost every day, seeing as how they liked their liquor, but Marty I hardly ever saw. Alex soon moved to New York to “further her career” or so she called it. I hated to be alone so I was constantly inviting one of the guys over. Days and weeks passed and yet I saw Marty less and less. I would agree to meet him at some restaurant for dinner but he would never show up. When I would call him to see what was going on his excuse was “I’m swamped.” I felt like and idiot sitting there by myself waiting for someone who would never show up. One night, after a year of being treated like dirt by Marty, I finally had enough. I packed all my stuff and went down to his office. I told him that I was leaving since he just didn’t seem to have any time for me anymore. If all he cared about was work than he just didn’t deserve me. I turned around and walked away. I went to the one person I knew I could count on to be there for me. I caught a plane to New York and arrived on Alex’s door step. I explained what happened and she immediately took me in.Years later I was watching tv when a commercial for some show called Rockstar INXS played. On the tv flashed a picture of my long lost love Marty Casey. No, I thought to myself it can’t be. When the show aired sure, enough there was Marty. I watched every episode never missing a moment. That was the first time I heard his song “Trees.” I cried my heart out. How could I have left him just like that? My heart broke when I heard Marty didn’t win. I could tell by his eyes that he wanted this so much but when INXS asked him to front their tour I saw his eyes light up with joy. It was then I realized just how much I really missed him. It was Alex who took me back to Chicago to see him. He was angry at me but I guess he had reason to be. After he had let his anger out he looked at me and apologized. We hugged, kissed, and began telling each other about what had happened in the last few years of your lives. And now as I stare into his dreamy blue eyes, on our wedding day saying our vows, I think back at all this and with a smile say I do!

(Alex’s POV)

          As I sit in the waiting room of the maternity ward, I just can’t believe that my best friend is about to become a mother in just a few minutes. Dino and Bobby paced back and forth across the floor while Billy sat calmly in a chair and Joan read a magazine. Just then the nurse comes out of Liz’s room and ushers us in. In the bed lay Liz with a bundle of joy wrapped in a little blue blanket and standing right beside her bed was another in Marty’s arms wrapped in a pink blanket. Liz’s eyes shined with pride and love as she introduced us to Megan (Meg) Alex Casey and Fulton Jeremy Casey. I smiled as Marty laid the two bundles in my arms and went to stand next to his wife. I smiled with pride as I looked into the eyes of my god children and then at my best friend whose eyes sparkled and twinkled. I smiled because I knew her life was now complete.

The End