CHAPTER 2 – YOU JUMP, I JUMP!

“So this will be your room” Kristen smiled as she opened the door to the large spacious room.
“It’s beautiful” Tara replied in ore as she looked around at the antique looking furniture. The whole house was like that, decorated in antique wooden furniture, the floors covered with thick cream carpet, and where it wasn’t - huge oriental rugs covered the polished wood floors.
“You’ll have your own phone line, for a computer or whatever, but you will be expected to pay for any calls made, sound fair”
Tara nodded, still in amazement, the room she was standing in seemed to be the same size as her entire room back home.
“We’ll let you get settled while we go pick Sam up from his uncles” she smiled closing the door to the room behind her.
“Oh, I can go with you” Tara responded putting her bags into one side of the room
“We don’t mind if you don’t mind” Kevin replied plopping down the remainder of Tar’s belongings
~ AT THE SAME TIME ~
Alicia dropped her bags onto the plain wooden floor, and looked around the small hotel unit.
“Home sweet home” she muttered flopping down onto the small simple bed.
She pulled the only photo of them together out from her carry bag and starred at it helpless.
“God he probably wont even want to see you Alicia” she muttered feeling the tears well up inside if her they’d met so long ago, when she was happy, when the world didn’t seem as hopeless and dull as it did to her now. The noise of the street below faded into the background as she remembered his voice, the way he held her at night. She hated herself for ever falling in love with her, he was a typical male, scared of something he couldn’t control, and he couldn’t control love. She hated herself even more for been there now, she didn’t know what she was hoping to accomplish.
“Argh you can be such an idiot, this is why people laugh at you” she muttered to herself Still something kept her there – in Florida.

~ 20 MINUTES LATER ~
Kevin, Kristen & Tara hopped out of the Lexus and walked up the front steps to the flash looking 2 story house. It was modern looking, yet with a touch of class in the large bay windows and the 2nd story decks coming off the rooms. The electronic gate had let them past after a quick conversation between Kevin and – Tara assumed – Sam’s uncle.

“Hey” a shortish guy smiled as he opened the door to his guests
“Hey Cous” Kevin smiled embracing him
Tara followed Kristen into the house.
“Tara this is my cousin, Brian. Brian this is Tara, the soon to be nanny” Kevin introduced
“Nice to meet you Tara” Brian smiled extending his hand
Tara took is respectively. He looked tired, she noticed that, his eyes look sad for some reason. Maybe he’s just had a late night Tara decided, she’d always had a habit of reading too much into something. A skinny blond emerged from one of the rooms to the side. Her eyes darted around the 3 visitors, watching them closely. Her long blond hair was tied back loosely into a pony tail, her body shown off perfectly with tight jeans, and a small top.

“Kristen, Kevin” she said, her thin lips curving into a smile “Who’s this?” she inquired turning to look at Tara.
She stood a little taller than Tara, her blue eyes searching deep into Tara’s, as if staring her into subjection.
“Her names Tara Dallas, she’ll be Sam’s nanny when we’re away” Kristen responded
“Really?” she grinned, as if she knew something no one else did
“I'm Leigh Anne, Brian’s wife” she said, as though she’d practiced it a thousand times.
“Nice to meet you” Tara replied
The group slowly moved into the lounge, which was decorated in deep reds and white. A baby piano stood lonesome in the corner, the top covered with photos. There seemed to be nothing out of place, except maybe a forgotten toy lying in the middle of the room.
“Sam’s upstairs, he was tired so we put him down for a while, I hope that’s okay” Brian announced sitting down on one of the couches.
“Would anyone like a drink?” Brian inquired standing back up again. Tara couldn’t help but noticed how thin he looked – mind you this was her first time meeting him, perhaps he always looked like that.
There were a few nods around, as Kevin also stood and flowed Brian out to the kitchen.
“Um could I please use the bathroom?” Tara inquired sheepishly
“Go back out into the entrance, down past the kitchen, 3 door on the left” Leigh Anne responded as her and Kristen started up a conversation.
Tara washed her hands under the gold plated taped and flicked them dry after using the towel the hung beside the sink. She looked across at herself in the mirror, wondering what everyone else was up to. She thought about her friends, family, her life shed left behind.

“It’s better this way” she reminded herself – perhaps even trying to convince herself She opened the bathroom and headed back down the way she came.

“…..you know how I feel about her” Kevin scolded as Tara neared the kitchen door
She stopped, wondering if they were talking about her.
“I know Kevin, but she’s my wife” Brian retorted
“I don’t get you Brian, you’re a wreck, have you looked in the mirror lately? Even after everything you’re still prepared to call her your wife. Everyone around you can see what it’s doing to you, cant you see that”
“Not everything is a field of Roses in life Kevin, this is my marriage and I'm going to hold onto it”
“Till it comes crashing down around you, and then you’ll be crushed by it”
“You don’t –“ Tara jumped forward in fright as a small dog yapped up at her. Kevin and Brian both turned their attention directly at Tara who was smiling sheepishly.
“Tyke come here” Brian called, the little dog hurriedly obeying “Here could you carry these please?” Kevin questioned handing Tara two cups

~ EARLY THE NEXT MORNING ~

Jasmine slammed her car door and walked briskly up the front stairs of the apartment building she lived in. Her keys jingled in her hands and she pushed them through the 2nd story apartment. She opened the door into the dark room. She flicked the door on, and closed the door behind her. It’d been a long night, one –l like all the others that she would prefer to forget. Soft fur rubbed up against her legs as Music, her small tabby cat rubbed against her for attention.

“Hey baby” Jasmine smiled lifting the cat into her arms
Jasmine carried Music along to the couch where she sat down. She remembered the object her boss had placed in her pocket, the card. She pulled it out and looked at it vaguely.
“Men, who knows why god created them. I mean am I really supposed to believe this guy is some famous big shot? Ha yeah right” she muttered throwing the card onto the table.
What she didn’t know was that as well as been in a famous band, AJ McLean also ran a record label – Bone Records.

~ 2 HOURS LATER ~
Tara awoke to the quite hum of the alarm clock by her bed. She yawned widely, greeting the new morning with sleep kissed eyes. She looked over at the clock it was 5.40 AM. She was hardly the morning riser, but she was also used to revolving around her own schedule, she decided that she’d go for her usual run early in the morning so she’d be back in time for breakfast. Last night she’d inquired about the best route to run, it was a pretty safe area so they’d told her to pretty much head whichever direction, just to remember the way back.

Sam had spent most of his time with Kevin as Kristen had showed Tara around the house, filling her in on details, that sort of thing. Sam didn’t seem at all bothered by Tara’s presence, in fact he’d seemed to warm to her.

She pulled herself out of bed, and hurriedly rummaged through her draws pulling out a pair of running pants and a top. She quickly got dressed and flicked her dark hair into a high pony tail, her front layers falling softly onto her pale face.
“God I need a tan” she laughed as she grabbed up her shoes and headed down the stairs. She scribbled a note and left it on the breakfast counter, before leaving the house, closing the large door behind her.

She slipped on her shoes and tied them up, the cold morning air hitting her a little, but it was nowhere as near cold as she was used to. She stood up and started on her way.

~ 10 MINUTES LATER ~
Alicia looked down at the flowing water under the bridge. Even for summer it was a torrent of gushing water. The sun had only barely risen, but Alicia had been up for what seemed like an eternity. She leaned over the railing, her fear of heights subsiding into the back of her head. Without thinking, or looking back she climbed over the railing, the Florida wind blowing her hair against her face. She felt a surge of power as every emotion she’d repressed came spilling forward – the accident, Nickolas, her friends, her messed up life.

Tara looked in the distance, she’d been running for about 10 minutes but wasn’t at all puffed. She stopped about 50 meters from the bridge and watched curiously as someone – she assumed to be a girl, peer over the edge. She walked forward as the girl slowly but surely climbed over the edge.
“Oh my god” Tara muttered in disbelief, the girl was going to jump

“Hey” she called running onto the bridge, but still about 5 meters away from Alicia. Alicia spun around her hands still clutching the rail.
“Is um, everything okay?” Tara questioned, unable to think of anything better to say
“Everything’s peachy, you can go on your way now” Alicia replied Tara stepped up onto the path along side the bridge and look curiously at Alicia, who’s face was laden with stale tears.
“The water’s probably cold” Tara smiled, trying to make light of the situation
Alicia looked at her wearily.
“What do you want?” she stammered
“For you to hop on over the other side of the railing”
“Just go away”
“I cant now”
“Why?”
“Cause where I'm from you cant see someone who looks like they’re in trouble and not help them”
“I'm not in trouble”
“Okay, but you look sad”
“What are you a therapist?”
“No, but I'm a pretty good friend”
“I don’t have friends”
“That makes two of us, all my friends live like a million miles away” Tara sucked it up and clambered over the other side of the railing.
“What the hell are you doing?” Alicia inquired shocked
“You jump, I jump” Tara said affirmatively
“You’re mad”
“Possibly”
“What’s your name?”
“Tara Dallas, and you?”
“Alicia Winters”
“Well it’s nice to meet you Alicia”
Alicia couldn’t help but sneak a perplexed laugh. Who was this girl and why did she even care?
“So you wanna tell me?” Tara inquired flicking some loose bits of hair behind her ears
“Why would I want to tell my problems to a stranger?”
“Cause they’re the best person, no connection, they just listen”
“Why would you do that?”
“I could really use a friend I guess”
“Why don’t you just hop back on over the railing and be on your way?”
“Only if you do first”
Alicia smiled, for what seemed the first time in years.
“Okay fine” she huffed flipping one leg over the rail
“Really? Okay great cause I'm shit scared of heights” Tara laughed as she watched Alicia climb back over
Tara flipped her leg up, but missed the railing – a strong wind jolting her of task, her footing slipped, as she let out a scream of fright. Alicia rushed her hand forward grabbing onto Tara’s hand. Tara’s legs dangled in the air, searching for some resting place.
“It’s okay, I got ya” Alicia called thankful that Tara was quiet light. She pulled her up, Tara’s other arm stabilizing herself as her feet scampered back onto the ledge, and with Alicia’s help she scrambled back onto the footpath.
“You okay?” Alicia inquired
“Yeah um, I'm fine, thanks” Tara replied, still a little shaken.

Chapter 3
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