Part Eleven
Mercedes did exactly what she said she would. She went upstairs and took a shower and then got her stuff ready so that she could go out for the day. She wanted to spend as little time around the house as she could. Mer had to go to work the next morning so she knew that she just had to avoid him for the present day. As for the next, she’d get up at seven and go to work, and then be home by noon for a break. She’d get her stuff and hopefully get into her own house, then she could go back to work and act like she hadn’t even been near JC.
With her hair still wet, she grabbed the cell phone she had just gotten and dialed Chris’s cell number. “Hello,” she said when she heard breathing.
“Hello?” Chris said in a confused tone.
“Chris?”
“Mer?”
“What’s wrong with you?” she laughed.
“Did you just call me?”
“Uhm, yeah,” she said in a ‘duh’ manner.
“Haha. I just had picked up the phone to call someone and you were there. I didn’t even hear it ring.”
“Ha, uhm... alright,” she laughed again. “Guess what.”
“Tell me.”
“JC’s home.”
“He’s what?” Chris said surprised. “He’s not due back for another couple days."
“He got here last night.”
“You spent the night with him?!” he exclaimed.
“Hell no! We fought as usual. And we fought this morning too.”
“Mer I am so sorry. I really didn’t think that he’d be home this early.”
“It’s okay Chris. It wasn’t anything that I couldn’t handle.”
“Is he pissed at me?”
“Nah. I told him not to go hounding on you. It really wasn’t your fault.”
“I should probably call him eh?”
“He said he’s going out with his brother today. So if you are going to catch him you might want to do it soon. I think he’s still downstairs. He woke me up early this morning with all the noise he was making in the kitchen.”
“He’s not normally loud that early.”
“He’s not usually trying to piss a girl off either is he?”
“No I don’t guess so,” he laughed.
“Are you going out today?”
“Yeah I am about to go out to get something to eat. Then I’m gonna head to the mall. I’m meeting Jessica around one or so.”
“Cool. Well, call me later if you need anything. I’m gonna call C and make sure he isn’t gonna try to slash my tires when I’m not paying attention or anything.”
“Haha, alright. Later,” she said and hung up. She sighed and ran the brush through her hair before pulling it back into a pony tail. She grabbed her purse and then headed down the stairs. “Later C,” she yelled as she went out the front door. JC turned his head but said nothing.
The phone rang and JC chewed on his finger as he walked into the living room to answer the annoying noise that filled the room. “Yeah,” he answered.
“Nice way to answer the phone Chasez,” Chris joked.
“Hey Chris,” he replied and then sat on the couch. “Thanks for the nice surprise buddy,” he said sarcastically.
“Look dude. I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d get back early. What happened in Cali?”
“Bobbie had to go out to Jersey for something and Dale had an interview in New York today. I didn’t feel like sticking around there. Bobbie is gonna come down here tomorrow.”
“Got ya. But yeah, I would have had Mer stay at my casa again but...”
“Joey jacked up your place. Mercedes mentioned that. What did he do to it?” JC interrupted.
“I don’t even know. They are doing a bunch of crap to it and I am having them lay out new rugs too.”
“On Joey’s behalf?”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “He’ll get over it.”
JC laughed for the first time all morning... for the first time since he had gotten home actually. “Is Mer’s house really supposed to be done tomorrow?”
“Yeah I think so. Why? Were you about to feel bad if she lied about it?” he teased.
“I could care less if she lied. I just don’t wanna be a total prick and throw her out if her place isn’t gonna be done.”
“It should be yeah. So, no worries on your part.”
“So what are the guys up to?”
“Nothing much that I know of. Then again I don’t pay much attention unless it is written down on paper and made known that I NEED to know it,” he laughed.
“Yeah,” JC laughed right back. “Well hey, I’m gonna go out with Ty today, so I should go get showered up and everything. I’ll talk to you later though alright.”br>
“Sounds fine with me. Try to be nice to Mer while she’s there alright?”
“She just hauled ass outta here anywho. I don’t think she wants to be around me either.”
“Guess not. Oh well. Take it easy bro. Tell the Ty master that I said what’s up.”
“Will do. Later man,” JC said and then clicked off the phone. He looked around the living room and then stood up. “Hmm,” he sighed. He got a weird grin on his face and then jolted for the stair case.
“Let’s just see what kind of skeletons you have locked up in your closet,” JC said as the door to Mercedes’s room creaked open. “Blah,” he moaned as he stepped over some of her clothes laying on the floor. “Not too tidy,” he joked. “Ah man.” JC just happened to run into the open drawer that was filled with Mercedes underwear. “At least they are cute,” he laughed as he held up a pair of teal lace thongs. He closed the drawer and just assumed that Mer wouldn’t realize that she had left with it open.
“Well well,” he said as he looked at the stuff on top of her dresser. “Who are all these pictures of?” JC picked up picture by picture and laughed at a few of them. There were a few of her when she was little, a few of her and her father, one that he assumed was her mother, a few of her and some friends, and one that made JC’s jaw freeze. “What in the world?” he said as he looked at the picture of the guy in the wooden frame.
JC quickly flipped the picture over and undid the clasps. He carefully slid the picture out and looked at the writing on the back of it. “Marc?” he said and then looked at the picture again. “He looks like...” he said and then was disrupted by the phone. “Shit,” he cursed and then set the picture on the floor and ran over to the side of Mer’s bed. “Hello?”
“Hey C,” Justin said from the other end of the phone.
“Hey J what’s going on man?”
“Not a lot. I just talked to Chris and he said you were back in town. How was the little vacation?”
“Not too bad,” he said from Mer’s bed. He still kept his eyes focused on the stuff on the floor. “Can I ask you something?” he said out of nowhere. For some reason he figured that Justin would know the answer.
“Shoot buddy,” Justin said and then took a swig of his OJ.
“Has Mer ever mentioned having a boyfriend or anything?”
“Nah, she doesn’t have a boyfriend why? You getting interested?” Justin laughed.
“No way,” he said briefly. “I just... I saw...”
Justin knew exactly what he saw. “You little snoop!” he laughed out loud. “You’re going through her stuff aren’t you?”
“No! Why would I do that? That’s like invading her privacy or whatever.”
“You’re full of shit man.”
“I couldn’t resist it dude. Please don’t go blabbing on me.”
“I won’t. I bet you ten to one that she went through your stuff at some point in time. I think it’s like a rule or something. You’re home alone, you go through other people’s stuff.”
“Whatever. I know you know what I am talking about then Justin.”
“His name was Marc.”
“Was Marc?” JC caught the use of past tense that Justin used.
“He was killed. Mer and him were together for a long time. He died in her arms.”
“Oh my God,” JC covered his mouth. “That’s horrid. He looks...”
“Just like you. I know dude. It’s crazy isn’t it?”
“No kidding,” JC breathed in and then out slowly.
“Look, don’t tell her that I told you, alright?”
“Sure,” he said still stunned. “I should go and get her stuff straightened back out. I gotta go shower and meet up with Ty.”
“Alright. Don’t mention anything to her okay? I don’t even think that Chris knows about him.”
“Yeah. Why did she tell you?”
“It just happened.”
“Are you two... like dating?”
Justin was silent for a minute. “No we aren’t. We’re just friends C. You really shouldn’t be so hard on her. She’s a great girl.”
“I gotta go,” JC said almost immediately. “I’ll call you later alright?” he said.
Justin sighed. “Yeah. Later C,” he said and then pushed the off button on his phone.
JC got back down on his knees and picked up the picture that had slid off of the dresser when JC went to get the phone. He shook his head from side to side and then put everything back in its place on the dresser, and found his way back out of her room.
At one thirty, Mercedes sipped on her Mountain Dew as she waited for Jessica in the food court. It wasn’t but three or four minutes later that she felt someone tap her shoulder. “Hey girl!” she exclaimed and then turned to give Jessica a hug.
“Sorry if I’m late,” she said and pulled out the chair next to Mercedes.
“No way. You aren’t late. I was just resting my feet. I’ve been on the move all morning.”
“What for?”
“Just staying out of the house. Guess who got home last night.”
“JC’s home?”
“Yup. Ran into him and his towel last night.”
“Eek. I don’t guess it was a bad sight though,” she smiled.
Mercedes laughed. “Ya know Jessica, seeing him half naked was probably the only good thing about our whole conversation.”
“That sucks. Well, the not getting along part. Not the half naked JC part,” she smiled.
“Agree,” she smiled too.
“So are you still staying there?”
“Yeah. I told him that my place should be ready tomorrow, so I would get out of there. His thing that he likes to call a girlfriend is going to be in town tomorrow too.” Mercedes quickly covered her mouth when she realized that she had just said that out loud.
Jessica burst into laughter.
“I am so sorry.”
“Can I let you in on a secret?” Jessica leaned in toward Mer.
With her hand still covering her mouth she shook her head and said, “Yeah.”
“I don’t like her too much either.”
“Thank God!”
“JC’s a wonderful guy, and I think that he could do so much better.”
“I don’t know that I could say he’s wonderful or anything, but yeah... Bobbie is a pain in my ass. She looks at me like... like... I don’t even know.”
“Don’t worry about her girl. She’s just threatened by you is all.”
“Threatened by me?!” she exclaimed.
“Yeah.”
“But JC can’t stand me.”
“I guess Bobbie sees a different side of that story.”
“Well she could still try to save face and be a little less rude to me.”
“I don’t see that one happening any time soon girly.”
Mercedes laughed. “Me either. One could hope though eh?”
Jessica joined in on the laughter. “Exactly. Let’s go spend some money girl,” she said and got up out of her chair.
“I’m up for that option,” Mer smiled and pushed herself away from the table. “Let’s go.”
“Oh my wow this shirt is so cute,” Mercedes said as she held up a blue stripped shirt. It went up over the neck, but had a slit down the center on the chest. It was a little bit revealing, but it wasn’t slutty.
“That’s is crazy cute. Hmm... try these too,” she said and showed Mer a pair of dark blue sparkle capris.
“This is way too cute,” she put the clothes over her arm. “I think this pale pink shirt would look awesome on you Jess.”
“You think,” she said and looked over the shirt.
“I know,” Mer smiled.
Jessica smiled back. “Give it here. I’ll try it on.”
The girls spent almost another hour in ‘Forever 21’. They found way too many outfits for their own good. The two of them tried on each and every one of them too. Mer would strut her stuff in front of the mirror just outside the dressing room, and Jessica would pop up behind her and do the same thing.
“I think I am ready to go to another store,” Mer laughed.
“Me too.”
“Go ahead and get in line and I’ll put up the stuff that we don’t want.”
“Alrighty,” she said and made her way through the racks of clothes. She stood in a line with about six people and waited for Mer to come over there with all of her stuff.
“I’m so glad I don’t have to listen to anyone tell me that I don’t need all these new clothes,” she laughed when she showed up behind Jessica in the line.
“I hear ya girl. I’m sure I will hear some of that from Lance though.”
“Ha, poor thang.”
“He gets over it pretty fast though,” she smiled. She was well known for getting her way.
“So, what store you wanna hit next?” Mer asked.
“A shoe store for sure! I just got all these clothes, I need some shoes to match.”
Mer giggled. “I am so glad that I met you.”
Jessica smiled at her. “Likewise girly. Likewise.”
“I need to sit down!” Jessica exclaimed when they passed by a bench.
“I second that. Let’s take a load off,” she said and then motioned toward the next bench near them.
“Well I think that we have done exceptionally well with our shopping today. What do you think?” she asked Mer.
“I totally agree. I mean we got like all this stuff on sale. My mom would be proud,” she smiled.
“So would mine.”
“Eww!” Mer said when she looked off to her left.
“What?” Jessica’s head snapped.
“Talk about total PDA.”
Jessica followed the direction that Mer was looking in and made a sour face when she saw the major make out action going on up against the wall by ‘5 7 9’. “That’s a bit extreme. They totally need a room,” she laughed.
“No kidding. I would be so embarrassed. No way could I do that.”
“Me either. Lance is lucky to get a kiss out of me in public.”
Mercedes laughed out loud. “At least the girl has some taste though,” she giggled.
“Yeah, he is pretty hot looking from our standing point of view.”
Just before Mer got to make her next comment, the tongue tied couple pulled apart for some air. “Oh my God Jessica.”
Jessica’s eyes flew open and her jaw dropped. “Is that who I think it is?”
“Totally is who you think it is.”
“Whoa!”
“She’s not supposed to be here until tomorrow,” Mer added.
“She’s not supposed to be getting it on with some guy that totally isn’t JC either.”
Mercedes shook her head slowly. “Valid point.”
“Wow. I don’t even know what to say. Are you going to tell JC?”
“I don’t know. Do you think I should?”
“I dunno know either.”
“We better move before she sees us here though,” Mer stated.
“No kidding. Let’s get a closer look though just to be sure that it is Bobbie.”
“Okay,” Mer agreed and the two of them walked around the center pop up shop that was in the middle aisle of the walkway. The stood behind the jewelry counter part of it and looked through a crack in the earring case.
“That is so her.”
“Totally is.”
“I told you that JC deserved better.”
“She has got some balls man. The public knows who she is.”
“Yeah but she’s not with JC, so I am sure that no one recognized her making out with some dude.”
“I guess. Man that’s just wrong.”
“That’s just Bobbie. I really didn’t think that she would sink that low though.”
“I guess she proved us both wrong.”
“How did she prove you wrong?”
“I would almost wish the worst upon JC after the attitude he gave me today. But she doesn’t deserve him. He has a kind heart somewhere under his arrogant being towards me.”
“He does. I promise,” Jessica said. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Come on,” Mer said and grabbed a hold of her bags and then followed close behind Jessica. She looked back once more only to see Bobbie with her arms wrapped around some guy’s neck. ‘She is gonna ruin something good,’ Mer said to herself and then continued to follow Jessica.
“Well girl, I had a great time today. Thanks so much for asking me to come.”
“Anytime Jess. I really had a good time too. I need a day like this every once in awhile.”
“Me too. Joey was making me crazy today too, so this really eased my head,” she laughed.
“What was he doing anyway?” Mer asked.
“He just kept calling me. I really think he was doing it just to get on my nerves. He kept asking me if I knew a certain answer to the crossword puzzle that he was doing. Then he would hang up and call to ask me if he left his shades in my car. Which by the way he hasn’t been in in like a month. He was just driving me nuts.”
Mercedes laughed. “That sounds just like Joey.”
“He’s going to start doing it to you soon!” she warned.
“Yeah, but I’ll just play his game right back,” she laughed.
“You do that,” Jessica smiled. “Anyhow I should get going. I told Lance that I would be home around seven. He’s making dinner.”
“Yum. Tell him that I said hello and thanks for letting me borrow you today.”
“Borrow nothing girl,” she said loudly. “I needed to get away!” She picked up her bags and threw them over her shoulders. “Guys tend to get on my nerves after awhile.”
“I know how that goes. Anywho, give me a call girly. We’ll hit a movie or something.”
“It’s a plan. Talk to you later. Oh and be sure to let me know if you tell JC.”
“I will,” she grinned. “Bye girly,” she said and then the two of them took off on their separate ways. Mercedes got to her car and put all her stuff in the back and then she got in the front seat and took out her phone.
“Hello?”
“Justin, hey it’s me.”
“Mer, hey girl. What’s going on?”
“I need your opinion on something.”
“Go for it.”
“Jessica and I went shopping today.”
“Alright,” he said and waited for her to continue.
“Well, we kind of saw someone.”
“Who?”
“Bobbie.”
“Bobbie?” he questioned. “She isn’t due in town till tomorrow. I talked to JC this morning and that’s what he told me.”
“Yeah. Well I guess she got in earlier than expected.”
“Okay, so what was she doing? Shopping? That’s not a crime you know,” he said and sounded like he was defending her.
“Shopping. Yeah right. Maybe window shopping down another guy’s throat. She was all over some dude Justin. Jessica even saw her.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I wouldn’t make this up. It was bad. They were all over each other.”
“Wow,” he was surprised. He knew that Bobbie had a few problems, but he didn’t think that she was a cheater.
“So do I tell him, or what?”
“I don’t know Mer. Chances are that he isn’t going to believe it. Especially if it comes from you.”
“But even JC doesn’t deserve to be played.”
“Do what you gotta do. I honestly think that he should know, but it’s gonna be hard to make him believe you.”
Mercedes sighed. She didn’t know what to do. “I guess I’ll just see what happens then.”
“Yeah.”
“Well I’m gonna head out before it gets too dark. I’ll talk to you later okay?”
“Okay.”
“Thanks Justin. Byes.”
“Bye.”
Mer started her car and pulled out of the parking lot. She was going to go back to JC’s and act as if she hadn’t seen anything. If the topic came up, then so be it. But she wasn’t going to offer up any free info without just cause.
Mercedes opened the door to JC’s house and she practically threw her bags in the door. She looked in just enough to see JC sitting on the couch. ‘Typical male’ she thought to herself. He didn’t even bother to get up to help her.
“Hi,” he yelled from the couch.
“Hi,” she said back and then slammed the door shut.
The loud thud of the door caused JC to turn around. “Damn, did you buy the whole mall?”
“What do you care?”
“You’re bringing it all in my house. I have the right to care a little.”
“Get over it JC. I’ll be outta here tomorrow.” So much for a nice evening at home.
JC turned over on his knees and looked over the back of the couch. “What is it that you have against me?”
“What does it matter to you. You are just as rude to me as I am to you. You know that.”
“I’m mean to you cause you are to me.”
“I have my reasons.”
“I’ve come to think that they aren’t very fair to me.”
Mercedes walked closer to the couch. “Fair to you?” she argued. “Who cares what is fair to you and what isn’t. You don’t know me Chasez. You don’t know who I am and what I have been though.”
“And you’ll never tell me obviously. Why hate me though? I’ve done nothing wrong to you.”
Mercedes didn’t like the confrontation that they were both in. “I can do whatever I please.”
“Maybe if you weren’t such a bitch half the time, you would realize that I’m not a bad guy.”
“Maybe if you weren’t so blindsided by fake love, you’d realize that Bobbie doesn’t love you. She loves what you can give her. That’s all.”
“What do you know? You don’t even know her.”
“Wanna know what I know?”
JC just stared at her.
“I know that she was out today with another guy. She was all over him. She kissed him like she probably has never kissed you. Maybe he buys her nicer things.”
JC wanted more than anything reach out and slap her, but he wasn’t raised that way. “You’re lying.”
“Whatever,” she started to turn around.
“You’re just jealous.”
“Call her! Do what you wanna do. She’s in Orlando and she’s not with you.”
“I want you out.”
“Gladly!” she yelled.
“Not tomorrow. Not in an hour. I want you out now.”
Mercedes eyes filled with tears. “I may dislike you with the depths of my soul, but you deserve better than her.” She turned quickly on her heels and grabbed her bags to haul them upstairs. A brief moment later she returned downstairs with a small bag and her purse. “I’ll stop by tomorrow after work to get my stuff out of her,” she said and then slammed the front door behind her.
Tears ran down her now red face as she ran to her car. JC watched out the window as she got in it and peeled out of the driveway. “Shit,” he smacked himself in the forehead. He fell back onto the couch and grabbed the phone. There was a phone call that he needed to make.
Mercedes grabbed her bag and got out of her car. She walked up the walk way to Lance’s house and knocked on the front door. Jessica answered it and saw that Mer had been crying. “Mer, sweetie what’s wrong?”
Mercedes had finally stopped crying, but when she thought about it again her eyes started to swell up again. “JC and I just got into it again.”
“Awe, come on in.”
Lance saw her walk in and he immediately tried to find out what was going on. “Mer, are you okay? Jess what’s going on?”
“Lance can we have just a minute?” Jessica asked him softly.
“Sure,” he said and ran his hand over Mercedes’s back. “I’ll just be in the den.”
“Thanks. Okay Mer. What happened?”
“I got home and he was being a major ass by the time I walked in the door. He just sat there on the couch and watched me struggle to get in the door with all my stuff.”
“Uh huh,” she said and waited for her to go on.
“Well he started talking about all this crap and somehow I blurted out that I saw Bobbie today. He went crazy and told me that I was just jealous and then he told me to get out.”
“Awe, sweetie I’m sorry. God guys can be such pricks sometimes.”
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you and Lance. I just didn’t want to go over to Justin’s like this. I don’t have anywhere else to go. Chris would shit bricks if he knew that JC made me cry.” Mer’s eyes widened. “Please make Lance promise not to tell!” she pleaded.
“Okay. Okay. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be just fine. I promise.”
Mer buried her head in Jessica’s shoulder and prayed that she was right. Why did she really have to hate someone that she wished she could love?