The Different Shade Of Grey

Chapter 24

IT'S FRIDAY NIGHT AND I'M IN MY ROOM, studying for midterms when I hear this yelling and banging coming out of my room. My heart starts pounding hard with complete anxiety.
"How could you let this happen? A fucking criminal get near our child! Now you expect me to trust you to go off to Detroit after you share this shit with me?" Mom yells loudly. "I didn't even know this happened until Welch told me all of this! Why am I being blamed for something I didn't even know about? Anastasia, please just let me take her with me. She must at least know my roots?" After dad says that, there's a long pause. I stop scribbling down my notes and frown at my dad's last statement. In fact, it's echoing inside my head. I exit my room and lean against the exterior wall of my dad's office. My heart is at ease and I stand there, in silence.
"Phoebe really crossed the line by visiting him each Tuesday. She completely fooled me..." Dad is almost inaudible. Natural instincts strike and my hand is on the doorknob and I open the office door and lean against its frame.
"Going to Karisma's place. Can't concentrate here," I murmur in depression and stroll back to my bedroom, eyes focused on the ground and my spirit's low. Always feeling unwanted when I'm home. This is such a waste.
I grab my car keys and slip my tea colored Eskimo boots on. Phone in my sweatpants' pocket, backpack over my shoulder.
I calmly drive out the parking lot and ease into the Seattle highway, driving to Karisma's mansion.

I guess I shouldn't have lied and maybe listened to my dad but it's all a lesson. My father can be unreasonable sometimes but at the end of the day, he'll always be right even when I hate that I'm wrong.
Well, now I'm allowing my brain to breathe a little. Karisma invited Greg, Chey, Ross and Austin to her place. Having a little fire place chill out with them is something I enjoy doing but today, I'm silent as they are having a deep conversation. My mind is back on the fact whereas dad wants to take me to Detroit. Why such a place like that? How is he even related to the place? I just don't understand this whole equation.
Staring at the fire, I'm lost in my own thoughts. Dark thoughts, deep thoughts, sad thoughts...just my usual thoughts.
The lifeless soul of Phoebe Grey is brought back to life once my hand is held tight by Ross. My eyes are on him and he's got a shy smile but he is still talking to the group. I roll my eyes and focus on the current discussion they're having.
"So that's it, Christmas break: off to New York City!" Austin celebrates with his tacky Australian voice. Spending my Christmas break there seems nice but what about spending Christmas Day with the family...
"After Christmas right?" I ask as I stroke Ross' hand with my thumb.

"SO, HAVE YOU WATERED THE FLAMES WITH YOUR DAD," Ross whispers in my ear with his arms wrapped around me. I roll my eyes and ignore his query. Trying to avoid the thoughts of going house hunting with Theodore just to escape that household till I'm finally eighteen and old enough to get my own place.
Ross flicks my nose gently, making me frown at him in agitation.
"I know it's your duty to check on me and shit but right now, I don't want to talk about that man. Stop asking me about it..." My throat starts to sting and throb and I walk out of my room and ball my eyes out. I slam the bathroom door behind me and slide down the door as I continue crying.
Ugh, crying over the things that's always happening hear at home just make me cry. It's just so much pressure. There's different things that's going down in my life. A career that I have to work for, friends and family to take care of and all this drama is just a waste of time. Pressure is just increasing each day and I always have to keep it in. Then everyone wonders why the famous Bebe smokes and drinks. It's so obvious but no one understands. I just wish everything was easy to handle.
"Knock-knock," the blonde goofy hunk murmurs. With my thighs against my chest and my head resting on my knees, I almost sound inaudible, "Who's there?"
"Manpunzel," he continues. Ross has got me giggling already, what a weirdo.
"Manpunzel who?" I stand up with a smile and open the door for him. He rewards me with his shy smile and pulls me into an awkward yet lovely embrace. "Manpunzel loves you," he mumbles. All I can do is roll my eyes at his goofiness. He picks me up and I wrap my scrawny legs around his waist.
"Wanna go back home? I'll sneak in and cuddle with you," he mumbles against my lips before he kisses them. Can't really escape that hell called home. Mom is there, wondering about me, dad's obviously banging the walls 'cause of what I did. The shivers that tremble down my spine, arouse me as Ross runs his fingertips down my lower back.
"Let's just go to your bedroom, head to the bathroom and run a bubble bath." I whisper softly. He blushes and twirls me around. As he lets me down, I hold his hand as he leads the way.

I step into the warm bath tube with a naked chest and a Calvin Klein thong on. Ross joins me with only his boxer's on and his naturally curly locks in a bun. I play with the aloe scented bubbles while Ross is stroking my slightly hairy calves. "Theodore called me." I look up at Ross and his expression is serious, too hard to read. "Yeah?" I relax my shoulders and lean against the edge of the bed, resting my head on it. He massages the instep of my foot and responds, "Cole called him through your phone. Said there's some meeting with some of your partners, etc." Wonder what's going down with the whole Bebe entourage. I'm usually the one who calls everyone. "Must be a new gig or something," It's midterms, what important gig has to postpone them now?
Ross pinches my big toe, making me yelp and hop in the tub. Splashing the ground with water. The blonde hunk smiles at me and stifles a giggle. I roll my eyes and splash him with water and slap him softly against the cheek. The bubble fight has begun!