A Remedy For the Heart *Extremely Slowly Editing*

14. Good News & Bad News

Chapter 14: Good News & Bad News

December 13, 2013, Friday

*~~Juliet's P.O.V.~~*

Zack helps me pack my bag and place it in Maddie's car. Mads and I are going to my place because my brother is finally returning my car and we might stay the night there. I give Zack a kiss in the cheek goodbye but he pulls my in his arms.

"No, Juliet, that won't do at all. I want a full goodbye kiss." Then Zack leans in and gives me his sweet kisses that leave me breathless.

"Ok, ok you adorable couple. Zack why don't you leave her a hickey and then we'll go." Zack and I blush, he already gave me another one last night and I gave him one, too. No, we didn't have sex, we haven't even made out yet. I really want to make out though, and sex can come later. I'm scared and not ready.

SNAP

Did I hear a snap, or was that my imagination? I think Zack heard it, too. He looked upset but when his eyes met mine, his face softened.

"Ok, you have the address and the phone number, right?" I ask Zack again, for like the billionth time.

"Yeah, I do, now go have fun. Don't let me waste more of your time." Zack says giving me one more peck on the cheek, then rushes me in Maddie's car. Maddie drives away and I look back until I can't see Zack's waving frame anymore.

~Juliet's Parents Home~

Maddie and I knock on the door. No answer, but the TV is on. I turn the knob to see it open. We walk in the living room, where we see my brother making out with a girl on the armrest of our couch. The girl has her shirt scrunched up and my brother is shirtless with his pants' zipper open. Oh god, this was a scene I was hoping to avoid all my life, and it REALLY doesn't help with Maddie beside me. I glance at Maddie to see that she is frozen.

Oliver looks up and closes his zipper, "Oh my god, Juliet and Maddie, hey...this is awkward." The girl puts her shirt down and blushes, "Oh my god, Oli, I can't believe we were seen by your sisters. I told you this wasn't a good idea." She buries her face in my bro's chest. He just laughs, "My dear sisters, this is Gisselle James. Gisselle, Maddison and Juliet. Juliet, the one with reddish-brown hair, is my real younger sister. We adopted Maddison, aka Maddie, because of...um...certain circumstances. Her parents are real....I'm not going to say it."

Gisselle smiles broadly at us, "So you two are the younger sisters that Oli loves. He misses you girls a lot. Oli even keeps a picture on his phone and wallet. Anyway, it's really nice to finally meet you." She extends her hand to us. Maddison takes her hand and returns the handshake and I do, too. Maddison is taking this better than I thought. Yogurtland all month I guess.

Oliver tosses keys at me, "There's your car keys, thanks a bunch, sis, I took extra care of it, so it shouldn't stink or anything. Are you two staying for dinner?"

Maddie finally spoke, "No, thank you though. We have to get back. Come on Juliet, Zack's waiting."

"Woah woah, who's Zack? Is that a hickey on your neck, Jewels?" Oh my god, caught by my brother, how embarrassing.

"Zack, his full name is Zachary Graves, is my boyfriend. And yeah...it's a hickey." I tell him with my head down. I never lied to my brother, I'm not going to start now.

Gisselle was shocked, "You're dating the Zachary Graves, the hot emo model who never smiles."

Oliver's face grew hard, "I want to meet this fella tomorrow. In fact, the whole family will."

"But, but, how about Sunday. I don't want you guys to scare him away. He's really sweet." I said, chasing my brother down the hall as he walked to his room.

"Fine Sunday, and I'll try not to scare him....no promises." He gives me a hug, "I want you safe."
I return the hug, "I love you, Oliver, but really he is sweet and kind. He always makes me happy. And we haven't had...we didn't even start making out, ok? Now take care of Gisselle, see you on Sunday." Oliver walks Maddie and I to our car and says to Maddie, "You two Maddie, you have a boyfriend, we want to meet him, alright? Now go! Shoo, fly away!"

When my brother is out of sight, I see tears roll down Maddison's beautiful face. It broke my heart, I kept hugging her as she sniffled. Maddison never was the type to wail out while she cried, she was a silent crier. The last time I saw Maddison cry was when she was five...

*Flashback*

"No mom stop. I'm sorry, please I'll be a good girl. I won't do it again." Maddison was yelling as her mom was abusing her. I was watching from her closet, she hid me there, so her drunk parents won't abuse me. Then her father came home, I really don't know why they were hurting her, "You b*tch, can't do anything right!" Then my parents knocked down their door and called the cops. Maddison was crying in their arms. And that's when my parents adopted her. Maddison's real parents died a month later, in a car accident. They were drunk and died.

*End of Flashback*

After 6 minutes or so, Maddie calms down, "I'll return to my car. Now that you have your car back. I know one person that will erase my mind of Oliver. I haven't told you, but lately, Matt has been on my mind." Maddie blushes and looks down. Now I've seen it, Maddison Reed is blushing, oh my god, this can be like news flash.

"Go on, missy, while I've been with Zack, you've been thinking of Matt." I poke her stomach and she laughs.

"Remember when you went to the club with Zack on December 6? Matt and I had sex four times, three times at the night, then once more in the morning. Gosh Juliet it was amazing. I don't know why I even agreed to give him my virginity, it just seemed like a good idea. I told Matt about Oliver and he said to call him whenever I want to. And at the moment, I really want to see Matt. And another thing I haven't told you is that Matt and I played cupid for you and Zack. I mean it was so obvious you two liked each other, only you guys didn't know." With that she ran out of my car and drove off.

If Mads thinks I'm furious, she's wrong, I'm actually happy. Who knows if I'd be dating Zack right now if Matt and Maddie didn't push us. A lot of things makes sense now, and Matt and Maddie together. That is a beautiful couple. I shake my head and drive off to my beautiful boyfriend, waiting for me at my house.

~

I come home, in my own car finally, to see Zack rolling around in my bedroom floor. When he sees me, he jumps me and gives me butterfly kisses all over my face. And then Zack gave me a big smooch on my lips.

"Welcome home, Juliet." I smiled up at him, he's so sweet. How can anyone hate him?

"Thanks, let's go to the park, I have good news and bad news."

We walked to the park hand in hand but instead of leaning on the tree like we usually do, we stayed on the grass. I sat down and Zack had his head in my lap. Zack was the first to break the silence, "What's the bad news?" He asked as he played with my hair.

"I don't know if it's bad news to you. It's how you take it. My brother wants to meet you. He said to bring you to our parents house tomorrow, but I told him I'd bring you on Sunday."

"If you want to, I'll go with you tomorrow, I don't mind. I think it'd be great if I can meet the people who raised you and loved you, when you were a baby."

"Really? That's great, we'll go tomorrow. I have more news though, you know Matt and Maddie played cupid for us." Zack didn't say anything, instead he rolled off my lap and laid beside me.

"Are you mad Zack? I think it's great that they played cupid for us. I mean, who knows if we'd be dating right now if it weren't for them."

Zack faced my way and smiled, "No I'm not mad. I mean maybe a bit pissed, but you're right." He held my hand, "Who knows if we'd be dating now if it weren't for them." He leaned over and kissed me. And I, like a giddy highschooler, giggled. Zack tugged my hand, so I would lay with him and took out his phone, "Let's take pictures." We made many faces for his phone, when his phone fell on his face.

"Oh god, my nose." Zack groaned, holding his nose.

"Oh my god, Zack let me see?" I took a good look, at least he wasn't bleeding. But his nose was really red. "Aww, Zack, you look so adorable. Like Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Oh dear, the look on Zack's face when I said that was hilarious. I couldn't hold it in and bursted out laughing. That's when Zack got up and tickled.

"No, Zack, stop, what's so bad about being adorable, oh my god, you're killing me, my sides, my sides!" I yelled between laughs. Zack was grinning down at me.

SNAP, SNAP, SNAP

Zack stopped tickling me, "Juliet, did you hear a snap? It sounds familiar, but I can't put a finger on it."

"Yeah, I did, but who cares." I tugged his head down to my face, and we heard more snaps as we kissed.

"So any more of your good/bad news. None of them are bad, Juliet."

"Well, Matt and Maddie might hook up." I looked up to see Zack's confused face. I entwined our fingers together, "You see my parents adopted Maddie, when we were five. Maddie's parents weren't like those caring parents. They would abuse Maddie, especially when they were drunk. She had bruises, but they healed. When we were thirteen, Maddie grew a crush on my brother, Oliver. However, when we went to my parents house today, we saw my brother and his girlfriend about to have sex, on the armrest of the sofa! Maddie had a poker face, up til' we were in my car. She told me that Matt and she had sex, on the night we went clubbing. And then Maddie told me how she's been thinking about Matt for awhile now, and that he's the only one that can help her. Maddie rushed to her car after she told me that she and Matt played cupid for us." Zack played our entwined hands for awhile, then spoke.

"Matt and Maddie would make a good couple. Matt likes her you know." After a minute of two, Zack spoke again, "Would you like to meet my sister next weekend? She's my only family that's nearby. I would introduce you to my aunt, but I don't know where my aunt is."

"Are you kidding me? I'd loved to!" I grabbed his face and gave him a kiss.

SNAP

Zack got up and checked his phone, "It's 7 PM, come on, we should go back." He pulled me up and we walked hand in hand back home. I unlocked the door and we saw Maddie and Matt up against the wall. Zack covered my eyes and yelled at them, "Really? You guys couldn't make it to the room?!" Then he closed the door and we sat on the porch.

"My second time today. And this time I saw them naked. I'm scarred for life." I joked, burying my face in Zack's chest. He laughed and kissed the top of my head.

"WE'RE DONE, YOU GUYS CAN COME BACK NOW!"

Zack glares at Matt and we head to the kitchen. We ate salad for dinner and headed off to bed.

We go to sleep cuddled up in each others arms, again.

"Sweet dreams, Zack." I give him a peck on the cheek.

"Sweet dreams, Juliet." He kisses the top of my head.