Chapter Eleven Whitney: "God, could this day SUCK ANYMORE?!" I ended in a yell, slamming down the pay phone and dropping the phone book that was chained to the bottom of it. A couple of people who passed my up gave me strange looks as they passed. I ignored them. I had just spent the past hour and a half  calling all the apartment complexes in downtown London and they weren't either a.Speaking English, b.Not vacant, c.Not answering their phone, or d."Currently unavailable". I was pissed. I had spent the past week and a half sleeping in and out of my car and a single motel room and frankly, I was sick of it. I reached my car and pulled the door open. I started it up and instead of rising to the F, my car indicated I was almost empty. I gritted my teeth together. Fine, be that way. I punched my fist down and landed on the horn and didn't let up for at least 10 seconds. I thought people were giving me looks earlier, well its a whole nother story when you're sitting in a parked car laying on the horn. I took a breath when I had stopped. I buckled my seatbelt and backed out. I drove to the nearest gas station, stopped, got out, and got a minimal amout of gas with my whole 5 pounds I had left.    As I ripped my reciept from the pay at the pump container, I thought to myself. Where was I going to go? Where was I going to stay? Funny, how a month ago I would have said Scott or Teresa in a heartbeat, It was different now. I could always go to Abs', but he had done so much for me and I subjected him to our argument today at Scott's house, I didn't think I could imply on him to let me stay there for a night. I closed my eyes as I sat in my car. A few moments later a horn awoke me out of my thoughts. I looked behind me at a car trying to get into the gas station slot. I resisted the urge to flip them the finger and started up the car and drove off.    Nonetheless, I took the road to Abs' place. I had to. I couldn't just park my car on the side of the street and sleep in it, not here. It was too dangerous and too commuter around here. It wasn't like my sheltered truck stop city, no London was much different. I got the urge and feeling that maybe I was destined to make it in a small place much like the city I had spent a week or so in and not a busy city like London. I mentally shrugged, you never know what life will hand you, Whitney.    I pulled into Abs' flat. I got out and walked up the drive. I ran my fingers through my medium length brown hair before I rang the doorbell. I stood on the porch for a few minutes and glanced around. He didn't answer. I turned back toward the door and noticed there was a small note taped on the door. I stepped closer and squinted, trying to decipher his handwriting. 'At the studio' was what I got from it. Not a note to specifically anyone, but I guess if one of the lads or his manager or something came looking for him they'd know where he was. I left the porch and headed toward my car, destined for the studio. Abs: "All I wanna do is get with you, take a little time, get next to you, Let's get it on." I finished. Max smiled broadly and gave me a big thumbs up. I took off my headphone and rolled up my sleeves as I stepped out of the booth.    "Ritchie you're up," Max called. He nodded and pushed himself up off the couch and took my place behind the shuffle of papers and the mic. I watched him for a few minutes then moved my attention to something else. I glanced at Rease sitting on one of the couches. She motioned for me to come sit next to her. I felt Scott's eyes watching me as I passed him and sat next to her.    "So, um, is Whitney really back?" she whispered to me. I nodded.    "Yeah, I found here in this little town like 10 hours away from here," I told her.    "Wow," she quietly said.    "You know, Rease, you really need to patch things up with her. She really misses you." I told her.    "Really?" she looked up at me. I nodded. "I dunno. I dunno if she'd ever forgive me."    "Believe in her more than that," I said, patting her knee. She was about to respond as the recording studio door opened. In walked Whitney. My mouth dropped a bit and all heads turned toward her. "Whitney..hey." I greeted her, standing. I had momentarily forgotten all that had happened in the past 2 hours.    "Can I, uh, talk to you, Abs?" she said, staring down at the floor.    "Yeah, sure," I moved over to her. We headed out the door and outside.    "I just wanted to know if I could crash at your place tonight," she asked me, still not looking at me and focusing on the cracks in the asphalt.    "Sure, no problem," I shrugged, pushing my hands into my pockets.    "Thanks," she smiled, looking up at me finally. "I guess I better get going. I don't want to disturb you guys doing anything in there." she motioned toward the door.    "No, it's alright.." I offered.    "I'll see you later, Abs," she said as she left, heading toward her car. I swallowed as I went back inside the small studio. Scott looked at me as I entered but I refused to hold his gaze. I walked past everyone and took a seat next to Max behind the sound table. It wasn't worth talking about with him. Chapter Twelve...