Hey everyone! Here's the second chapter of "Jilted". I worked all weekend on it. I hope you like it.
JILTED
CHAPTER 2
Jeremy slowly lowered the phone back down to the receiver. He knew Denise would be mad. No...livid. But he never dreamed she would have reacted that way. To curse him so violently like she did absolutely floored him. Denise had always been a sweet girl...a little possessive at times but always pleasant. For a minute there, it felt like he had been talking to another person all together.
Jeremy removed his tie and tux jacket and tossed them on a chair. Restless, he began pacing from one side of his room to the other. He could hear his parents arguing in the living room, having only told them of his decision just moments before. Of course, they totally hit the roof, especially his dad. His parents had spent thousands on the wedding and now all their money was down the drain. His dad told him that this "little stunt he pulled" proved he was immature and was no more closer to being a man than he was at thirteen.
Marriage had been totally Jeremy's idea. He thought proposing would be a sweet, romantic thing to do for Denise. So, did his parents. They themselves had gotten married at eighteen, so who were they to dictate what he should do? The Garrett's on the other hand, were a little bit harder to convince but after awhile they gave the couple their blessing.
Denise had flown into the wedding preparations right away. Planning every single detail from the flavor of the icing on the wedding cake to the color of the bridesmaids' shoes. But after awhile all the excitement began to make Jeremy feel like a noose was around his neck
And that it was slowly tightening.
There had been nights where he would lose sleep just thinking about all the responsibilities that would soon be piled on him. Paying bills, getting a job and all the while still a senior in high school. Last week, Denise was already talking about wanting to start a family soon. He nearly panicked at the thought. Him a father at just eighteen? He just couldn't handle it.
It was then that he began having serious doubts about getting married. This was all going to be too real. No playing dress up for a day. A total commitment for life.
Jeremy felt like he was going to go crazy if he thought about this anymore. He had to get out of his room....out of his house. Quickly, he changed into a sweatshirt and jeans and stepped out into the hallway.
He heard his dad yelling and pounding the table with each word he spoke, "He's paying back every red cent and I don't care if he has to work three jobs!"
Jeremy went out the front door and closed it as quietly as he could behind him. Bear was immediately there to greet him. "Hey boy," he said as he bent down to pet his yellow fur. "Let's go for a walk, okay?"
Bear wagged his tail as if he understood and started down the driveway after his master. Jeremy turned in the direction of Denise's house. No one would be home that soon but he felt he owed a better explanation to her and her parents. After walking the four miles to her house in the cool air he felt better. His mind more clear...more relaxed.
When he reached Denise's house, it was as quiet as a tomb. The Christmas tree lights weren't plugged in, so he knew no one was home yet. He sat down on the front steps to wait. He'd wait all night if he had to.
An hour later, he could see head lights coming down the road. As it got closer he could see it was the Garrett's car. His heart began to beat with nerves and he suddenly couldn't remember anything he had planned to say. He stood up as the car pulled into the driveway.
Mr. Garrett reached into the backseat and lifted Denise out. She was as a limp as a rag doll and appeared to be asleep. Her long white dress swept the ground as he carried her towards the front steps. It was then that Mr. Garrett noticed Jeremy. He smiled but it wasn't a friendly one. "Well, if it isn't the runaway groom. We missed you at the wedding, son."
Jeremy stepped forward, deliberately ignoring Mr. Garrett's sarcasm. "What's wrong with Denise?"
Mr. Garrett looked at Jeremy as if he was an idiot. "What's wrong with her? She's practically had a breakdown, thanks to you! She was so upset we had to call a doctor and have her sedated."
Jeremy was shocked that things had went that far. He felt even worse about his decision. Nothing was more important to him than Denise's health. "I'm really sorry," he said, feeling lame. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
Mr. Garrett just shook his head in disgust and brushed past him. Jeremy then appealed to Denise's mom. "Is she gonna be okay?"
"The doctor thinks so. She's had a huge shock and let-down."
Jeremy winced. He hadn't missed the accusation in her voice.
"She needs a lot of rest," Mrs. Garrett said, when she caught Jeremy looking longingly at the front door.
"I really need to talk to her, Mrs. Garrett. Please, can't I at least stay with her until she wakes up? I won't leave her side."
Mrs. Garrett shook her head. "No, I think it's better if you just stayed away for now. I don't think Denise would be too eager to see you anyway." She paused for a second. "This wedding meant the world to her, Jeremy."
"I never meant to hurt her. You know I love Denise. I just couldn't---"
Mrs. Garrett's haggard face softened. "Yes, I know that you do, " she said softly. "Go home now, Jeremy." She turned and went inside.
And with a deep sadness, he started down the road. There was nothing more he could do here.
* * * *
That weekend Denise spent in her bed instead of where she should have been....in Jeremy's. She refused to eat and wouldn't speak to anyone. Mostly, she slept, drugged with crazy dreams. But in the periods that she was lucid, she would stare up at the ceiling and think of all the things that would never be. The Sumpters had bought her and Jeremy a cute little cottage halfway between both parents' homes. Denise had been looking forward so much to decorating it and making it their "theirs". Who knew what would happen to it now? Probably it would have to be sold. It hurt so much to know that someone else would be living in the house that was rightfully hers and Jeremy's.
Why did he do this to her? Why didn't he love her enough to marry her? Denise wondered over and over. She hated him so much but at the same time....still loved him. She began to sob. When her tears had soaked the right side of her pillow, she turned her head to the other side.
She was now staring full on at her wedding dress. Zipped up in a garment bag and hanging on a hook outside her closet. Rage welled up inside Denise and she threw back the covers. She couldn't stand that dress anymore and what it represented. At her desk, she began yanking out drawers and rummaging through them until she found her scissors.
Stalking back over to her dress, she unzipped the garment bag and raised the scissors high. She was seconds away from slicing them through the silky fabric when something caught her eye.
The blades.
She became fascinated by them. They were so pretty the way the lamp light glinted off their surface. Why had so never noticed this before? Slowly, she ran her finger down one of the blades and was rewarded with a stinging cut. But the blood didn't add to her misery it only made her smile. Denise stepped back and regarded her wedding dress for a moment, tapping her chin with the scissors as she thought. Her mother had always wanted her to get rid of them. Saying they were too dangerous. Too sharp. Too easy to have an accident with.
"Yes," Denise whispered. "Someone just might have an accident with these."
Decision made, Denise zipped the garment bag back up, leaving the dress unharmed. A drop of blood landed on the front of the dress. It ran, forming a streak that uncannily resembled the letter "J".
* * * *
Denise came into the kitchen Monday morning, bright and cheerful. Dressed in jeans and a sweater, her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked the same as ever only a trifle more gaunt from not eating. Dark smudges were under her eyes, a testament to her recent stress.
Her parents not expecting to see her that morning, immediately got up from the table and rushed to her side, surrounding her with hugs and kisses.
"Oh Denise, we've been so worried about you," Mrs. Garrett gushed. "We thought you'd never come out of your room."
"I'm fine now, mom. Just extremely hungry."
"As you should be after not eating for two days," her dad admonished. He led her over to the table and helped her get settled in her chair.
Mrs. Garrett began filling Denise's plate with bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Mr. Garrett poured her some milk in a glass.
Her parents then took a seat across from her at the table. "Are you sure you're feeling up to going to school today, honey?" Mrs. Garrett worried.
"I'm sure. I can't hide in my room forever. I just want to forget all about this weekend and get on with my life." Denise dug hungrily into her food.
Mrs. Garrett took a deep breath, steeling herself for Denise's reaction. "And when you see Jeremy, what will you say?"
"I know what I'd like to say to him," Mr.Garrett growled. "That damn punk. He nearly sent my daughter to the loony bin!
"Ed, please!"
But Denise wasn't paying attention to her parent's remarks. Instead, she smiled serenely as she focused off in the distance. A scene playing out in her mind. "I'll say that I don't hold it against him for what he did."
Her parents gaped at her in shock.
She looked at them, her eyes wide and earnest. "He was right you know. We were too young. Maybe in the future we can get married but not right now." Denise shrugged nonchalantly.
Her parents didn't know how to respond. Denise's words were a direct contrast with the way she had acted that weekend. She finished the rest of her breakfast in silence, kissed her parents goodbye and left for school.
Mrs. Garrett looked at her husband. "What do you think?" she murmured.
He frowned. "I don't like it. She went through hell this weekend and now she's all ready to just forgive him like that. It doesn't make any sense."
"She's in pain. I think she's hiding her true feelings so she won't hurt as much. I just wonder what those true feelings are."
"Maybe it's best we don't know, " Mr. Garrett said. He though back to how hysterical Denise had gotten at the church and shivered.
* * * *
Jeremy always looked forward to physics because it was the only class him and Denise shared together. They usually spent it goofing off and passing notes to each other. Today he had a feeling she had been avoiding him. He had only glimpsed her a couple times in the hallways between classes but by the time he had reached her she was gone. He had not been allowed to see or talk to Denise all weekend. By this point, he was going out of his mind with worry about her.
Suddenly, Denise sailed through the door of the class. Carrying her books, blonde ponytail swinging behind her. Jeremy desperately tried to make eye contact with her.
"Denise, I--"
But she ignored him, didn't even slow down for a fraction of a second. She totally bypassed the empty seat behind him...the one she always sat in. Instead, she took a seat in the very last row all the way across the room. Jeremy felt like he had been kicked in the stomach once again.
He thought about getting up right then and confronting her but at that moment Mr. Reed, the physics teacher strode into the classroom. For the rest of the period he squirmed in his seat and looked at his watch every few seconds. Wishing that 3:00 would hurry up and get here. During a lull in the boring lecture, Jeremy glanced over his shoulder at Denise to find her looking back at him! But not in the usual lovesick way.
This was a glare. Not once did she blink or change expression. It was like she was trying to stab him with her eyes.
He waved at her, trying desperately to lighten the mood but her expression remained unchanged. He turned back around, disturbed. For the rest of the lecture he could feel her eyes slashing into him. He knew that making up with Denise was not going to be easy. In fact, it was going to be deathly hard.
When class was over he made a bee-line to her desk. "Denise, are you okay?"
She looked up at him with red swollen eyes as she gathered up her books. "Do I look okay to you?" she spat out.
"I really need to talk to you."
Denise straightened up and hefted her backpack higher on her shoulder. "Well, tough. I don't want to talk to you. You said Friday that you didn't want to marry me. That you were just too scared to go through with it," she mocked. "Well, guess what? You don't know how scared you're really gonna be after I get through with you."
She narrowed her eyes hatefully then brushed past him. Jeremy stood there, stunned. What was that supposed to mean? What was happening to Denise?
* * * *
Jeremy stood at his locker at the end of the day trying to remember what books he would need for that night. It was hard to concentrate though because all he could think about was Denise and the weird interchange in physics today. Was it too soon to go over to her house and try to smooth things over?
"Hi Jeremy."
A petite dark haired girl was standing by his side smiling up at him. It was Patti, a sophomore who shared his typing class. He always had a feeling she had a crush on him. The girl was cute but no match for Denise.
"Oh. Hey Patti," he said in a lackluster tone of voice, as he reached for his notebook.
"Sorry about your wedding," Patti said, sidling closer to him.
Jeremy suspected she wasn't sorry at all. "Yeah, me too."
"I bet your girlfriend is really mad at you."
Jeremy closed his eyes in frustration. "That doesn't even begin to cover it."
Patti seemed cheered by the news. "So, why did you call it off?"
"Look Patti, if you don't mind I really don't want to talk about this, okay? Me and Denise are going through some really private heavy stuff right now. And I don't think she would appreciate me spreading the details all over school."
"Sorryyyy," she huffed and whirled around to leave.
"No, Patti, wait. I'm just really edgy right now, you know?"
Patti turned back around and placed a sympathetic hand on Jeremy's arm. "I understand. You look like you could use a friend though. Wanna go somewhere and get something to eat?"
Jeremy shrugged off her touch as politely as he could. "No thanks. I've got a ton of homework. Maybe some other time, okay?" He shut his locker door.
Patti sighed and didn't try to hide her disappointment. "Yeah, sure," she said, hugging her books to her chest.
Five minutes earlier, Denise had rounded the corner of the lockers and had been standing there watching them the whole time. Jeremy was talking to some short chick with braces. Denise could see them really well because the b^tch wouldn't stop yakking. She looked vaguely familiar but not important enough for Denise to have known her name.
Suddenly, the whore reached out and touched Jeremy's arm! Denise was infuriated. Who was this slut to be talking to Jeremy! To be touching him! Did she think just because the wedding was called off that she could just move in on him? Technically, Jeremy was still her fiancee'!
A couple seconds later, Jeremy left the b^tch standing at the lockers. She had such a dejected look on her face that Denise would have laughed if she hadn't been so pissed. The slut then began walking and disappeared into the girls' bathroom at the end of the hall. Denise smiled and started after her. She was so glad she had remembered to bring the scissors today....