Broadway Baby

Chapter 3

//Eden//

This is just great, I thought, looks like no free lunch for me tomorrow. I can't go to Kellin's because that's the first place they'll look, and I just want a good nights sleep before I could deal with them. What other choice did I have? I didn't have close girlfriends like most girls my age did.

New York is a scary place. Especially when it's late. I hardly knew my way around, and I know for sure I am lost.

I grabbed my phone and did the only thing I could think of doing. "Kellin, I need your help."

~~~~~~~

//Megan//

Sitting in Christa's apartment got stressful fast. There was nothing I could do.

"Shouldn't we call the cops or something?" I pestered her.

"Haven't you felt with them enough for one night. And plus I know she's with him, she doesn't have any other friends."

She doesn't have many friends? It had never dawned on me that maybe things weren't so well at school either.

"Do you have his number?" I looked at my sister, who was in the kitchen making breakfast.

"She is going to come home. If we have to make her or if she decides on her own." Why was Christa always so wise?

"Can I call her?"

"You sound like a whiny little kid, Meg. You haven't really acted like you wanted her in your life for the last 14 years, so why do you think she's going to run to mama?" I shut up after that, she was right, but part of me wanted her to be wrong.

Beep. Beep. I looked down at my phone, it was an unknown number.

"Christa." I motioned her over. The text read, Eden is fine. I'll have her over in an hour. She's at my house.

-Kellin

I looked up at my sister, "What don't I know about Eden?"

She shook her head, "I don't even know..."

"Im a horrible person for saying this, but does she have a journal? or something. God. I just have to know.." Who was my daughter? Why did I never stop to just reach out to her?

"No.. Megan.. Just no.." Christa was shocked, but she didn't understand. Eden had only been staying with Christa for a few weeks, but had taken everything with her. Maybe she never wanted to come back.

~~~~~~

Kellin knocked on the door, he was holding Eden in his arms, of course she was asleep. I put my head in my hands, and Christa had Kellin lay her down on the couch. I touched his arm as he left and gave him a small smile for a thank you. He nodded his head in a 'your welcome'.

"Where's Eden's room?" Christa motioned down the hall. The door to her room was slightly ajar, I peered inside. Eden was clearly a neat freak, everything seemed to have a place. She had a twin sized bed that was next to a large window, in the closet she had all her clothes together and her shoes matched together. On her desk, papers and notebooks were stacked neatly. She had a large collection of books, and a a full body sized mirror. There were pictures of her and Kellin stuck in the sides, and also a picture of me, one from my 30th birthday. I didn't remember her taking the picture that night, all I could remember was waking up with a huge hangover in the morning. I glanced under her bed, and saw a medium sized box. It was decorated with EDEN printed on the front, she painted stars and the night sky around her name. I opened it, inside there were tons of pictures from what looked like parties. I dumped the continents on to the bed.

I'm sure Eden has more friends than we realize, I thought.

Some of the pictures were just horrible, there was people who I didn't recognize all smoking bongs and drinking alcohol. There Eden was getting high, and I never did anything to stop her. How could I be so blind? There was a thick book at the bottom of the box, which I picked up and thumbed through it. It was Eden's journal. I quickly hid it in my purse, picked up the mess I had made and got out of the room quickly.

"I.. Need.. To go.." I stumbled.

"Are you serious?" Christa was angry, "Here you are wanting to fix things between you two, but of course being the Megan that you are, you weren't even serious were you?"

"That's not it! Okay? I just.. I can't explain right now." Before she could answer I ran out the door.

~~~~~

I pulled out the journal on the taxi ride to my apartment. The first page was dated back a year ago.

"I snuck out last night. The feeling was exhilarating, and I want to do it every night. I still can't believe it was so easy! My mother was out with her boyfriend or who knows what, and I just left. When I came back this morning she still wasn't home, only to stumble in a couple minutes later. But enough about her, who knew there was so much to do in New York? I met up with Mara, and we went to her boyfriends house. Mara is 2 years older than me, and introduced me to all her older friends. One of them particularly caught my eye, his name is Corbin. He handed me a drink and we got to talking. He is one of the sweetest guys I have ever met. I told him I was older, I had too! At the end of the night/early morning, as I was leaving he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me in. The kiss was long and sweet and he knew what he was doing. He told me to come by more often, and I'm planning on taking him up on that offer. He's my first kiss, and it was wonderful. Xx Eden"

I took a deep breath, that wasn't too bad. I flipped about 30 pages to an entry written about 6 months ago, and started to read.

"While my mom was in Boston for a week, I left. She had given me money for food, but what she doesn't know won't kill her. I met up with Mara, and we got together with some of her friends. Their parents owned a little motel, so we were able to spend a few days there. I smoked for the first time. The first drag was hell. I coughed and sputtered while everyone laughed and took more drinks of whatever was in their cup. There was 2 beds and four of us. Mara, Corbin, Elliot, and I. Mara had her eyes set on Elliot, and I figured she would want the bed with him. I hadn't seen Corbin in a few months, and trust me I wasn't ready to get in bed with him. As the first night grew on, Corbin came and sat with me. He slung his arm over my shoulder and kissed my neck. I was way too out of it to kick him off though, so I kissed him back. The first night I slept on the couch. The second night I slept in the bed, we didn't do anything. I'm planning on keeping my virginity for a little longer at least a little longer. And the third night, Corbin and I left. He knew this place where we could get free drinks. I was all in. I wish I could take it back; the place was disgusting. There were all these older men there saying, "Hey there pretty lady. Wanna get together later?" I asked Corbin if we could go, and all he said was "Scaredy cat." I have never been that mad. I left and went back home. Xx Eden"

Finally I looked at the last entry dated back 3 weeks ago.

"Corbin found me. He raped me.

Xx Eden"

Oh, Eden.. My baby girl.