The Forgotten

chapter 6 new found happines

''are you okay?'' david asked, I hadnt relized I was being so qutie in till he said something.

''I'm better then okay, for once my mind is off all the stalker stuff and school and everything else negitive''. he looked at me werid for a minute and then smiled.

''does this have something to do with that guy whose tutoring you?'' I smiled back.

''kinda, okay yes it does''

''are you like dating him?''

''no. I dont know if he feels the same way as I do''

''you should find out, and dont do anything stupid like alot of girls do and ruin your relationship with him"

''I know, I'm not going to 'do anything stupid' as you put it. But we still dont even know there is a relationship or ever will be''

''I know that Vic, you've just been through hell the past few years and you desserve a chance at something good. I want belive that good things can come to people like us''

''what do you mean by people like us?''

''I mean people who arent like Karen'' Karen was a mean, rich lady who ran the shelters office. she was the type who got her way no matter what, even with our boss who never lisended to anyone excpet for herself. I dont think she had ever been told no by anyone.

David was refruing to the fact that we never really never really got what we wanted.

he came from a poor family in northren Califorina, was a single dad, and clended up after animals for a liveing plus thoguht slef defnse classes on weekends. his ex wife was thretning to take him to court for custody of thier duaughter. And he had an oray of problems with his acohlic brother.

I have a pretty messed up life myself too, with the stalker, my dysfuctnal familly, and a few issues from the past that no one wanted to talk about because pretending they didnt exist was easier. Before Sam, David was the only perosn I'd ever really felt a conection with, he was like an older brother to me, and was probadly the cloest thing I'd ever have to slibling. My mom didnt really have the best history with men...or what little history I knew of wasn't good. every other teenage girl I knows mom's always told them storys of thier bad high scholl dating experances, but not my mom. Infact the subject of boys was compently avoided in our house, everything I knew about relationships was lenared form friends, books, and movies; I was told I should be greatful that me and my mom have kinda a 'dont ask dont tell policy' when it comes to boys. but I wasnt. All I've ever wanted was a normal relationship with my family, and that happned to be the one thing I've never been able to aquire. Not for a lack of trying though, all through out my childhood I tired to get my family together on holidays like all normal familys do, and tired to get my mom and dad to go on family outings together but all my carefuly laid plans always fell though. It was only after my dad left us when I was eleven that I relized I would never have normal family, and probadly wouldn't have a nomral life eihter. I had shut down, tunred into a zombie who just did what they had to surrvive but never really lived. yeah I went to school, ate, soilized when I had too....but I never really lived. I think whatever I felt with Sam was the cloest I'd gotten to the way I was before, most intune I've been with myself in a really long time.

davids POV

I was happy that she'd found someone, I really was. But at the same time I was worried about her, what if this guy tunred out to be a jackass? She couldnt handle being left agian, when her dad did it it ruined her life and she still hasn't fully reconvered from it. She still has turst issues, abandomnet issues, she hardly ever does anything other then go to work and go back home. I'd been trying convince her to get out more, but as far as I'd ever gotten was getting her to come to a benifet for the shelter with me. but that wasnt a real date, we went as only friends.

I wonder if shes told this guy about her dad, and the stlker? What if he didnt think risking angering the stalker was worth going out with her? I knew as well as she did that this stalker was jeoulus of anything that held her attnetion away from the fear he cuased her, away form him in genreal. Yes her salker probadly hated me for protecting her when he showed at work trying to scare her, but the way I saw it risking my perosnal safety was worth giveing her back a few minutes of peace that the psyco had taken from her.

she always told me thats what made me a good perosn, that I didnt care how hard I had to work, or how dangrous something was. If it ment helping someone who couldn't help them selves I would do it.

Jen, another girl who works at the shelter was convinced I was in love with Vickie and just didnt relize it, although she was well awhere there was an 11 year age differance between us the idea of star corssed lovers was so romantic to her she didnt care. she offten emabrssed the hell out of Vickie with the things she said about us......it even emabrssed me sometimes.

Jen's fatacies aside, Vickie was like my little sister and I didnt want to see her get hurt by some boy.

Vickie was a responibe, smart girl, but she also in deniel about much she really suffard everyday, becuase being in deneil is earier then acpepting it. I understod competlenly, I'd doneit too before when my wife left me, but becuase of that understnding I knew that nothing good could come of it.