Not Him...Please
Chapter 5
By: Punk Lover
Marshall woke up earlier then usual today. He went to the kitchen very quietly and waited for a while. Then there was a light knock on the door. Marshall quickly walked towards the door and opened it revealing Joel. He walked in and gave Marshall a heavy bag.
“Go hide this in your room so she doesn’t find it.” Marshall did what he was told and found a place in a toy box he had in his closet. He came back smelling the sent of bacon and eggs. “She’ll like this breakfast.” Joel cooked some extra stuff for Marshall and himself. He then signaled Marshall to go wake up Candy.
Marshall opened the door as softly as he could. Mili woke up right away and looked at Marshall from on top of the bed where she always kept Candy’s feet warm. Marshall put a finger in front of his mouth so Mili didn’t start to make noise. He walked up to his mom and rubbed her arm gently.
“Mom, Mom, wake up. It’s time to get up. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Candy turned facing Marshall with a little smile on her face. She groaned a bit and started taking off the blankets. Marshall ran back into the kitchen telling Joel she was coming. Joel put a couple more finishing touches and he was done.
Candy came out of her room and looked into the kitchen. Her mouth was wide open and tears started coming to her eyes. She walked forward slowly looking at the table where her newly made breakfast was waiting with nice table cloth, a flower in the middle beside a candle and a couple of letters. Also standing in front of her were 2 of the most important people in her life, Joel and Marshall.
She walked up to Marshall and gave him a huge hug and a ton of kisses. She stood up facing Joel and gave him a big hug too. Marshall pulled out the chair so Candy could sit down and then they toke their place at the table and started eating.
“This is totally unexpected of you guys.” Candy so shocked she barely touched her food yet.
“There’s more coming you know.” Joel said winking at her.
They finished their breakfast with light conversation and put everything away. Candy went to her room and grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom to take a shower.
She slowly got undressed but stopped and looked in the medicine cabinet where she toke out a hidden picture of Cody. She looked at him and started softly singing “Happy birthday to me…” Candy toke a shower while thinking about Cody and her friends. She got out and dried off and came into the lounge where Billy and Paul were sitting.
“HEY HEY HEY!! There’s the birthday girl.” Paul yelled happily and hugged Candy. Billy came next and they hugged too. They all sat in the lounge and Candy opened her gifts.
She got a whole bunch of Level 27 clothing from Billy, she got a box of her favorite candy “Skittles” and these barbells with cool pictures on it from Paul for her belly ring and eyebrow ring, Benji, being the funny weird guy that he is, got her all these pairs of Joe Boxers with happy faces all over them and funny drawings. He also got her a whole bunch of MADE clothing. Joel got her some CD’s of Bad Religion, The Ataris, Blink-182, Finch, System Of A Down and Goldfinger. Candy was so happy it was unbelievable. She looked at Marshall and he got up and ran to his bedroom and went into the closet where he put the bag Joel gave him earlier that morning.
He came running out with the bag and handed it to Candy. Candy smiled and opened the bag and read the card aloud. She was starting to tear again. She looked into the bag and toke out and picture frame. In the frame there was a picture of Billy, Joel, Paul, Benji, Marshall and herself at the park on a beautiful summer day last year. She smiled at everyone.
“Thank you all so very much you don’t know how much these gifts and your company mean to me.”
“Oh it’s so beautiful!” Paul said pretending to cry and wiping a fake tear out of his eye. Everyone laughed but was interrupted by Marshall.
“Wait! There’s one more thing that I forgot.” He ran back into his room and came out with a small gift wrapped in Christmas paper. “I couldn’t find anymore paper with balloons on them.”
“That’s ok. It doesn’t matter one bit.” Candy unwrapped the gift gently and uncovered another frame. But the frame was folded and when she unfolded them the first person she saw was Cody. She stopped suddenly and looked at Marshall. She continued after a few minutes and kept opening the frame. The next person she saw was Marshall then Joel. She looked at Marshall again with a look of confusion.
“I put those pictures in there because Daddy and Joel are the two most important guys in my life. Even though Daddy isn’t here a lot he’s still very important to me.”
The guys where just staring at Candy for a reaction. She grabbed Marshall for the biggest hug of their lives and a few tears came out of her eyes.
“Why are you crying Mommy?” Marshall asked after feeling the tears fall on his head.
“Because I love you so much.” The rest of the guys came into the hug with Candy and Marshall and they hugged for a few minutes.
The guys stayed late into the night, talking with Candy, drinking and playing a couple games of cards. Marshall was already in bed and fast asleep.
“You guys remember when we always used to play strip poker? Those were the days.” Billy said going into a flood of memories.
“Ya, I remember. And Candy was one of the most daring girls that played with us. Next to Cindle.”
“Cindle was a huge slut that’s the only reason she played!” Candy said laughing really loudly.
“But you weren’t? That’s a good one Candy.” Benji said laughing almost as loud.
“Guys be quiet Marshall’s sleeping, remember?” Joel said in a whisper.
“What are you, his dad?” Billy said looking at Joel like he grew up in less then 2 seconds.
“If Joel’s his dad then I’m his uncle.” Yelled Paul. The group laughed at Paul’s drunkenness.
“You jackass, I’d be his uncle.” Benji said. “Maybe we should head home since Paul might wake up Marshall.
“Ya, maybe. Thanks you guys for coming and thanks for the gifts.” Candy said while hugging the guys as they moved towards the door. Joel stood there.
“Are you going to be ok? That picture can’t really help can it?” Candy looked back at it.
“I’ll be fine. It’s just what he’s thinking about, I’ll try and get Cody here more often, that’s all.”
“It’ll all be alright. You’ll see.” He kissed her on the cheek and left to catch up with the guys. Candy closed the door and stared at the mess.
Candy started turning out the lights and grabbing all her new clothes to put them in her room. As she was grabbing things she came across the picture of Cody, Marshall and Joel. She picked it up and looked at each one of them. She then saw some resemblance of Marshall in Cody…but also in Joel. ‘Maybe in just tired…I need some sleep.’ She started thinking about what Billy said about Joel being Marshall’s dad but quickly threw it out of her mind. She started thinking about what Joel said about everything being alright.
And I wanna believe you When you tell me that it’ll be okay
Ya I try to believe you, but I don’t When you say that it’s gonna be
It always turns out to be a different way I try to believe you, not today
I don’t know how I feel Tomorrow, tomorrow
And I don’t know what to say Tomorrow, tomorrow is a different day
It’s always been up to you Let’s turn it around it’s up to me
I’m gonna do what I have to do Just don’t
Give me a little time Leave me alone a little while
And maybe it’s not to late Not today, today, today, today
And I wanna believe you When you tell me that it’ll be okay
Ya I try to believe you Not today, tomorrow it may change
(Avril Lavigne “Tomorrow”)