.::Tornadoes and Volcanoes::.

August Burns Red listen to them...

Once Ray and Laurie had fallen asleep Ella snuck out of the room with a heavy heart. Looking back she decided that she should write Ray a note. Leaving it on his computer desk she left the house.

 

            Evan, Sanger, and Joel all woke up to Sanger’s little sister bouncing on top of them.

“Wait aren’t we in Evan’s house?” Joel asked puzzled.

“Yes, you are now Sanger, you are in huge trouble.” his mother said helping him up and walking out the door.

“What did I do?” he asked not fully comprehending what had happened.

“You ruined my dollies.” his little sister whined sticking the toy in Sanger’s face.

“It’s just a doll.” he replied.

“Son, next time color on paper.” his mother said getting into her car and waiting for Sanger to drive off to their house.

            Evan and Joel both shrugged and helped themselves to breakfast and then Joel left to go see how his dad was doing back at home.

 

            Laurie had left and he had regretted every minute of it. Who knew one night stands were so emotionally attaching. He walked around his room wondering what he should do. He finally decided to go get another bottle form the cabinet maybe he would be able to think clearly then. Going downstairs he opened the cabinet and grabbed two bottles, one for now the other for later. He laughed at how oblivious his parents were to the disappearing bottles. Trudging back upstairs and hiding the other bottle while he opened the other one. Sipping the contents slowly he noticed a folded paper lying on his desk. Unfolding the paper and looking on to see what it said he felt a wave of frustration crashing into him.

Your bedroom behavior was nothing more then checkmarks on bedposts.

            He finally understood that she had been there. Watching the whole thing. He couldn’t help the things he did when he was drunk. He never did anything he meant, only when he was sober. This cut him deep. She thought he was one of those guys who had a bunch of one night stands. He was becoming that guy because the girl that was lying in between his sheets an hour ago was never coming back into his life. Frustrated he downed the bottle, feeling the stinging sensation in his throat. One bottle down, a whole cabinet full to go.

 

            An hour later Ella had calmed herself down. She was currently starring at herself in the mirror. Everything was going wrong. She wished that she had never met Ray. She wished that she had forgotten about him. Most of all she wished that he never liked her. It would have made things a whole lot easier. Sanger, Evan, and Joel probably had no idea what was going on between Ray and her. They never cared. Ella had no way to vent her feelings except through songs. She suddenly felt the urge to talk to Joel about it. Maybe a guy’s point of view could help her. She searched around in her pockets. Her cell wasn’t in there. She looked around her room. Lucky enough for her the only place it could be was in Ray’s closet.

            Grabbing her jacket off her bed she put it on her shaking figure. Hopefully he would be asleep or not there. She made her way out the door and back to where she had had her heart broken.

 

            Ray was in his room still downing his drink. Sitting down on the bed he started to hear a song. Thinking that it was just the alcohol he shrugged it off until it began to get louder. He stood up and began to trace the noise stumbling over things as he looked. Finally he opened his closet to find the product of the noise. It was a cell phone and it looked a lot like Ella’s. Answering the cell phone he found out her mom was calling telling her that she wouldn’t be home until late that evening. Finishing up his second bottle and moving on to his third. He felt numb, like nothing could break him.

 

            Ella stood outside his bedroom door. She heard noises from inside indicating that he was in there. Her hand was on the knob ready to turn it and her feet were ready to walk in but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Pulling her hand away she felt small tears trickle down her cheek. She wasn’t crying because of Ray she was crying because she could believe how weak she was. She had guts and she wasn’t using them. Putting her hand on the knob she braced herself and turned. Opening the door slightly she saw Ray drinking a bottle of vodka on his bed. He looked up at her and just stared. She walked over to him and pulled her cell phone away from his hands and walked out the door without saying a word. She was proud of herself but what was Ray doing drinking?

 

            Evan walked hand in hand with Mandy. He had called Joel and talked to him and told him to meet him at the Dinner Diner. Mandy walked into the diner while Evan held the door open for her.

“Your being such a gentleman today, Evan.” she said smiling.

“Good.” he said winking at her before tapping Joel on the shoulder.

“Hey.” he replied and hugged Mandy.

“The diner looks empty today.” Mandy said looking around.

“Good.” was all Evan managed to get out.

“Can you stop saying good its creeping me out?” Mandy complained taking a seat next to Evan.

            They ordered and Evan barely spoke the whole time. Receiving their food Mandy began to bite down into her hamburger. After they were done they decided to order desert. Chocolate cake was set down in front of Mandy. She looked down at it in shock. Marry me had been written out in icing and the ring was sitting right beside it.

“What?” Mandy said looking up at Evan.

“Is that your answer?” Evan looked at her nervously.

“I don’t know.” Mandy began.

“Jeezie, Mandy just say you want to marry him already!” Joel exclaimed.

            Mandy smiled and slipped on the ring. Kissing Evan and eating the cake as if nothing spectacular had just happened. Evan being Evan was still confused.

“So are you marrying me or not?” he asked.

“Well, I’m wearing the ring aren’t I?” she smirked at him giving him another kiss. “We’ll get married as soon as we get out of high school.”

“That was my plan.” he said kissing her again.

“Okay, too mushy for me so I’m going to get going. Congrats!” Joel said walking out of the diner smiling.

 

            Sanger was with Serena at the moment. His mother had let him invite someone over to keep him company and he enjoyed Serena’s company. The things that Evan and Joel had said were running constantly through his mind.

“Sanger is everything okay?” she asked.

“No.” he replied.

“What? Why?” she asked him grabbing his hand in the process.

“I’ve been thinking lately and I think we should take a break.” Sanger said taking his hand away from her.

“A break.” she repeated after him. “I should go.” she said getting up and walking out the door.

“Maybe I made a mistake.” said Sanger to himself once he was fully alone.

 

            Ray had finished his bottle and decided to get a new one. Wobbling down the stairs and opening the cabinet to find that it had been emptied. Trudging back into his room to see half the cabinet laying empty on the floor he wondered where the rest had gone to. He suddenly because nauseous and threw up all the alcohol he had consumed.

 

            Ella opened the door to her house. The bottles of vodka that she carried where placed on a high shelf in her room. Looking up at them she began to wonder what it tasted like. She wondered what it tasted like to Ray. Taking one an opening it she found herself gulping down its contents and opening another one before she could stop herself.

“So you’re the one that took my vodka.” she heard Ray slur.

“Get out!” she said pushing him out of her room.

“Now that’s no way to treat a lady.” he defended.

“You’re not a lady you’re a monster.” she said feeling tears come spilling out of her eyes. Ray just held her wrists to make sure she didn’t punch him again. He just watched her cry.

“Just give me the bottles and let me leave.” he replied.

“No, you have a problem and you need to stop.” she said protecting the bottles.

“But don’t you see, you’re developing a problem too.” he said pointing down at the two bottles on the desk that had been emptied.

“Fine, here.” she said handing them over.

“Now that’s a good girl.” He said ruffling her hair.

“I hope you crash your car!” she yelled after him as he exited her house and drove off.

 

            School the next day was very awkward. Ella knew Ray’s secret but Ray had something on her too. She avoided talking to him, but she couldn’t stop her friends form doing so. The week passed by. Ray would go home and get drunk and Ella would sneak into his room and watch. Why she did it she didn’t know. She felt like she was watching a movie. Everyday he would drink and pass out and Ella would finish up whatever he didn’t drink and leave. She had a feeling that he was aware of it but never said anything.

“Hey, Ella do you have those history notes. I totally spaced during class.” A sober Ray called to her.

“Yeah, here they are.” she said handing them over. She noticed the happy looks she was getting as her friends walked by her.

“Are you planning on visiting me tonight?” Ray asked her.

“So you know.” she said smirking up at him.

“I’m not that stupid.” he said.

“But you’re stupid enough to drink.”

“You are too.”

“I’m just following your example.” she said closing her locker and walking away.

            Ella didn’t have to hide anymore she just sat on his bed and shared the drink. The irony of it all was that the person that caused him to drink was drinking with him. Ella was lying down on his chest.

“Did you really mean that note?” he asked her breaking the silence.

“Yeah, it was true don’t you think.” she said.

“Ella, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I do when I drink.” he said.

Ella waited a moment before replying. “Then stop drinking.”

“Not being with you makes me drink.” he said looking down at her.

“Why?”

“Because I love you.” he said looking straight into her eyes.

“And what makes you so sure that you love me?” she asked him.

“Take a listen.” Ray said leaning her against his chest so she could hear his heart racing. “It beats for you.” he said.

“That doesn’t prove anything.” she said.

“Well, I do love you. I love the way you always bite your lips when you play bass, or when you don’t get what you want you pout and cross your arms. I love the way when you’re excited your cheeks glow and I love how no one can make you blush except for your mother.” he said looking down at her, “that proof enough?”

“What happens if this doesn’t work?” Ella asked him.

“You guys can get a new manager and I’ll be out of your life forever.” he said looking down at her. Ella walked into the game room and out onto the balcony. She felt the rain pour down on her. Ray watched her from onside.

“Get me out of the rain, get me out of my clothes, oh but don’t make a sound, you hope that nobody knows.” she sang. Ray understood what she meant and dragged her back inside where to his room. Pushing him against the wall Ella began to passionately kiss him. Taking off her wet clothes she proceeded to make her way to the bed.