Not Him...Please
Chapter 9
By: Punk Lover
Cody sat in his seat watching Marshall play and thinking about the results that will change his life. Suddenly Joel came out and sat down again. He didn’t say anything; he just grabbed his magazine and started reading again. Candy wanted to ask how he was feeling but was afraid to speak a word to him or Cody.
“Mr. Cody McMillan? You’re up!” Cody stood up slowly and walked to the same doorway and into the same white room. He sat down in the same bed, chair thing and waited for the same doctor. Cody was more nervous then ever when he walked out and sat down again. He looked directly at Candy who was staring at Marshall.
“Mr. Marshall Heath? Your turn son!” Marshall stood up and looked at Candy who just sat there with her wide eyes on him. Marshall toke her hand slowly and Candy stood up and they walked together through the doorway into the white room. They were both really nervous but didn’t speak a word to each other while they were waiting for the doctor for the last time.
It seemed like forever as they sat there feeling nauseous in their stomachs. The doctor opened the door slowly not looking up from his clipboard as he walked in and sat on his stool. He looked up after a while and smiled at Candy and Marshall. “Good afternoon.”
‘Ya right…’ Candy thought. “I see you’re the last one to get a DNA test. Well don’t worry it’ll only take a second. After I run the test I can either give you the results privately and then you can tell the other gentlemen or I can do it all privately one at a time or all at once. Which would you rather?”
Candy thought a moment but decided for them all to find out at the same time. The doctor then finished the test and Marshall and Candy walked back into the waiting room and waited once more for the results. When they were all finally called in, they all got up nervously and looked at each other trying to find out who wanted to walk in first. Marshall was the first in the room followed by the others who were extremely slower then he was. They all sat down in different chairs and waited for the doctor.
The doctor walked in and wasted no time knowing they were all there for at least an hour waiting for this answer. “Alright, now I don’t know who you want the father to be Ms. Heath but these are the results.” Candy was thinking it was going to turn out like those talk shows where they discuss pregnancies and the result of who the father is. “Who wants me to say who’s name? Should I say Cody’s or Joel’s?” They all shrugged and listened impatiently. “OK then I’ll say Joel then since he was the first one to come in.” The room was growing more and more intense as they all waited for the doctor to just say the stupid name. “Joel you…are not the father.” They all just sat there in shock not knowing what to think.
“Did you just say he’s not the father?” Cody asked in disbelief.
“That’s what I said. That means you are sir.” The doctor said while quickly pointing his finger at Cody. Joel and Cody didn’t know how to feel. Joel didn’t know if it was a relief to not be a father and Cody didn’t know if it was good he knew he was still the father.
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The ride home was quiet and the taxi driver, thankfully, didn’t start talking. When they all reached the hotel they walked inside and onto their floor. Joel walked into the room where Benji, Paul and Billy were waiting. Cody had Marshall and before he got the keys to the other room from Billy he dropped off Marshall and signaled Candy to follow him into the other room. Candy followed not to far behind and when they got in she closed the door behind her. Cody clasped onto the bed and closed his eyes.
Candy sat down next to his tired body and waited. “Well, that’s over.” Cody said in a sleepy voice.
“Ya.” Was all Candy could say. “So what happens now?” Cody just shook his head. He kicked off his shoes and sat up on his elbows and looked up at Candy.
“I’ll do whatever you want to do.” Candy looked down at him blankly. She didn’t know what to think or how to feel. She was just happy that Cody was the father the whole time so then it wouldn’t have made things so complicated. Although she kind of hoped that Joel was the father.
Cody wrapped his arms around Candy’s waist and he pulled her down so she can lie down on his stomach. They lied there for a while as Cody slowly played with strands of Candy’s hair, when Candy looked up at him. “Thank you. Thank you for taking this so well.” Cody lifted his head slightly to see her face and gave her a comforting smile. There was a knock on the door, which scared the two of them. Candy got up and opened it. Joel was standing there with no _expression on his face and walked in really quickly.
“I’m just grabbing my hoodie; I’m going for a walk.” He walked over to the closet and as he past Cody he just looked at him. Then he walked out and closed the door rather gently.
Candy sat down again next to Cody and just stared off into space. Cody sat up fully and looked at Candy from the side of her face. “Are you OK?” Candy just looked at him and nodded slightly with a small grin. “Good.” Cody gave her a hug, wrapping his arms around Candy’s neck. His breathing was blowing gently and slightly into her ear and Candy wanted to just touch him so bad. Cody let go and lied back down. Candy stood up and walked to the bathroom and closed the door. A few minutes later Cody heard the sound of the bathtub water running. He figured that a bath was a good idea for both of them. He got up and knocked on the door. Candy answered it with just a towel around her and Cody was on her faster then you can say MASTERBATION! They both got into the shower and even though Cody still had all his clothes on Candy got them off in a hurry. They started having sex in the missionary position on the bottom of the tub and it brought Candy a good feeling. But then she thought about the situation they were in. ‘This is exactly how Joel and I had sex. He came in the shower with me.’ Through the middle of everything she stopped Cody’s lips from moving and she put her hands on his wet chest and looked at him.
“What? What’s wrong?” Cody’s eyes were full of confusion and sadness for stopping.
“I…I can’t do this. It’s not right.” Cody moved to the side of the tub to let Candy get up. She grabbed a towel and wrapped herself as she walked into the bedroom and grabbed some clean clothes. She didn’t have any of her own so she toke Billy’s Level 27 shirt and a pair of Joel’s Dickies. Cody got out and turned off the water. He walked into the bedroom naked and watched Candy run around looking for random things.
She walked to the door and was about to open it when she stopped and turned to look at Cody. “I can tell it’s not the best time to leave.” She said as she looked at Cody’s nakedness, “But I really need to figure things out and I can’t really be distracted. I’m sorry.” Candy left before Cody even had a chance to respond. She knocked on Benji’s room door; Paul answered it. “Do you know where Joel went?”
Paul shook his head. He looked behind him, “You guys know where Joel went?” Benji and Billy looked up from their card game and shook their heads too.
“Shit…” Candy muttered under her breath. Marshall came out of the bathroom and looked at Candy. “Do you know where Joel went?” Marshall put his finger on his chin and thought.
“I think he said he was going out to think or something, but I don’t know where he is.” Candy ran over to him and gave him a hug and a kiss on the forehead. “Where’s Daddy?”
“In the other room alone but leave him there for a while so he can think too. I got to go. I’ll be back as soon as possible.” She quickly left the room and ran to the elevator and then descended through the lobby and ran outside. She stopped and tried to think of where Joel could be. ‘Marshall said he was in a park or something.’ Candy jogged around looking for a park, anywhere. She came across a few but there was no sign of Joel. “Fuck, Joel where are you?” Candy was getting annoyed.
It was about an hour and a half later and she still didn’t find Joel. She stopped at one last park and looked around. Still no Joel. She climbed up some cold monkey bars and sat there pulling her knees up to her chest. She sat there for a while trying to think of something to do. Her eyes were tearing a bit and she was getting colder and colder.
She toke her head out from her arms and looked up at the starry sky above her. Then she heard some twigs breaking and she quickly turned around to come face to face with Joel. He climbed up with her and sat down next to her. “I went back to the hotel and the guys said you were looking for me. I called your cell phone but you never picked up.”
“What? I would’ve heard it.” Candy searched in her purse but it wasn’t there. “Shit. I probably left it back at the hotel.” Joel gave out a little chuckle. Candy was shacking like crazy now.
“Holy shit you’re freezing!” Joel took off his hoodie and put it around Candy. Joel started moving back and forth to try and keep warm now that he was in just a t-shirt. “So what did you and Cody talk about?”
“Not a whole lot actually. I kind of wasn’t thinking about him at that moment.” Candy looked at Joel who was nodding and looking down underneath them. “I actually wanted to talk to you first.” Joel looked up at her.
“Why me?”
“Because…you were always the one I could talk to…even when I was dating Cody I trusted you a lot more, with everything.” Joel nodded and stared at the ground again.
“Well I came out here to think for a while and I did. And now knowing that I’m not a father, it relived a lot of stress but I also felt really sad because I’m so close to Marshall…and you. But that’s the way things are sometimes. It all just sucks once in a while I guess. But since I still have my band and my friends and family I think everything will be OK. I felt like giving up a lot when we didn’t know who the father was, but I wanted to stay here with you and Marshall so whenever you needed me I’d be beside you right away.” Candy’s eyes were tearing up a bit, and she grabbed Joel and gave him a big hug.
“I felt like giving up too. But I wouldn’t because you gave me strength every time I thought of you.”
Joel smiled as he returned the hug. They sat there for a while longer before deciding it was to cold for them to handle. They left the park and headed back towards the hotel. They talked a little bit more about random things and eventually Joel slid his hand into Candy’s and they walked the rest of they way like that. They got back inside and went to their floor.
“I’ll go check on Cody for a second.” Joel nodded his head and kissed Candy softly on the lips as he knocked on the door to get one of the guys to open it for him. When he got inside Candy knocked on the room door in which Cody was. She waited a bit but there was no answer. She knocked again and again but nobody came to answer the door. Candy thought for a minute then decided to go to the lobby and ask for an extra key.
“I’m sorry but the man who stayed in that room left this evening and the maid should be there soon to clean it up.” Candy walked back upstairs and saw that the door was now open. The cleaning lady’s cart was in the hall and Candy walked in as she knocked on the door.
“Yes?” A young woman who was fairly plump poked her head out of the bathroom.
“Umm yes, hello. My friend stayed in this room and he left some things here. Do you think I could just grab them?”
“Oh yes of course.” Candy walked around the room. Looking in every corner and behind the furniture. She didn’t find anything that could’ve belonged to him.
“How’d it go?” Benji asked, slightly looking from the T.V. to her. Candy didn’t say anything. She just walked to one of the beds and she just fell down and slept. The group just looked at her and then went back to what they were doing. Marshall looked at his mom and gave her a kiss on the forehead and then climbed over her and fell asleep on the other side of her.
The next day she talked to Joel about their plans. She was going to go on tour with them again and she was going to bring Marshall with them. Then later that year her and Marshall would move in with Joel in his small house not to far from Candy’s old apartment. But that was still later in the year so they had a lot of time to hang out and have some good old days. Candy and Joel aren’t really dating but their still the best of friends. Candy does miss Cody sometimes and she wonders where he is and what he’s doing but she does forgive him for leaving. She never really told Joel the whole Cody story and decided to keep it that way.
Her life was slowly getting back in order. She had her son, her old job working for the band, and her best friend. One night the band invited her and Marshall to a small show they were doing in a club called Misfits. She got free drinks and got the tables behind the dance floor. Good Charlotte came onstage and Joel started talking.
“HEY!! Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Misfits! We are Good Charlotte and we’ll be entertaining you all for the next 45 minutes. So let’s get started. The first song is a cover of an oldie. I’m dedicating it to a special person in the audience. She is my best friend and she’s never given up on me yet. Candy this is for you!”
I know a girl who’s tough but sweet
She’s so fine she cant be beat
She’s got everything that I desire
She sets the summer sun on fire
I want Candy (x3)
Go to see her when the sun goes down
There ain’t no finer girl in town
You’re my girl you’re what the doctor ordered
I think it’s so sweet to make my mouth water
I want Candy (x3)
Candy always beats there’s nothing better
But I like candy when it’s rapped in leather
Someday soon I’ll make her mine
And then I’ll have candy all the time
I want Candy (x3)
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A few years down the road and nothing could be going better. Marshall and Candy were living with Benji and Joel, Marshall was still in school, they all had jobs to pay for food and other necessary items, and they all were happy.
One morning Joel and Benji were still sleeping and Marshall, now 10 years old, was watching T.V. Candy was making some breakfast for everyone. The mailman came to the door and dropped the mail through the slot. Candy went to pick it up as she was reading the funnies in the newspaper. She then put the mail on the counter and went back to making breakfast and reading. Marshall got up to get some juice and when he put the juice away he started drinking it and noticed a letter in the small pile.
“Mom? This letter doesn’t have a return address on it.” Candy turned around and looked at the envelope. It was sent to her old house…last year. She opened it and toke out a letter.
Dear Candy,
I’ve been working really hard trying to get money for you and Marshall so here it is. I’m not doing to good down here because I owe a lot of people money but you’re the first one who deserves it. I’ll probably get shot for this, but I hope you and Marshall are doing well. I got a new girl in my life but it’s not going so good, but I still don’t forget about you or Marshall. I miss you guys a lot. I was just adding a letter to this payment because I wanted to tell you why I left. I can put the story behind it in a few words. “I gave up” I’m sorry.
Love always,
Cody
“What is it Mom?” Candy put the letter down and looked into the envelope and took out $200. Her eyes were wide and she gave a slight smile. She was happy she got some money but she really hoped that Cody would do better…or maybe he was. But either way she didn’t want him to give up on anything else.
“Just something some one owes me.” Candy put the letter away in her room and went back to making breakfast. Joel woke up and came out of his and Benji’s room. He yawned really loudly and looked over Candy’s shoulder.
“Hmmm smells good.” Candy giggled a bit and pushed Joel aside lightly so she can put the breakfast on some plates. Joel looked at the mail. “Bills, bills, appointment…there’s never anything interesting that comes in the mail! This sucks.” Joel sat down at the table and Candy put the plate in front of him and he started eating. Candy smiled and thought ‘Ya never anything interesting ever happens in our lives.’
I got your letter and the poetry you sent me
Postmarked in December of last year
I really hope you’re doing better
All your friends close by your side
One step closer to recovery
I wish there was something I could say
To erase each and every page you’ve been through
Even though it’s not my place to save you
I appreciate but cant accept this
Thank-you note that’s sealed with your last breath
I won’t stand aside and listen to you give up
If you just hold on for one more second
Just hold on to what you have
If you’ll just hold on, just hold on
You will wake up tomorrow
These arms remain stretched out to you
Maybe someday you’ll accept them
Or maybe it’s to late to save
A young girl’s heart that’s long stopped beating
Wake up, wake up you’ve gotta believe
Wake up, wake up you can’t give up
Time keeps going on without us
Long after we’re dead and gone
(The Ataris “My Reply”)
The End.