Ever After

Chapter Nine

                                                       Chapter Nine

                                                Thursday, March 15th

I was having one of those nights where I just could not sleep. But the thing was, I didn't know why. Usually, when this occurs it's probably because I'm freaking out for exams or something. But I didn't have a test tomorrow nor did I have to make some big presentation. No, I was just laying on my bed staring at the ceiling for no apparent reason. Okay, maybe that's not entirely true but still, my constant change of thought is what making me stay up all night. One minute I'd be thinking about University then the next, I'm thinking about how I might end up on the streets as a hobo. I'll be thinking about the bills that I'd soon have to help my mom pay, the hours I have to work at the diner, and how everybody in grade twelve was probably getting high somewhere. Then, unwillingly, I'd think about Vincent and how he's changed so much...

Just at that thought, I immediately sat up from my bed. Why the heck was I thinking about Vincent? I could care less about him... or at least that's what I'm trying to tell myself.

"Mother of god," I mumbled as I began to rub my eyes. "I need to go eat a midnight snack."

Getting from my bed, I walked towards my door and down the tight hallways. I made sure to walk slowly so I wouldn't disturb my sister or mom but it was sort of hard doing so given the fact that the wooden floors continued to moan against my weight. When I had finally reached the kitchen, I got up on my toes and reached for the cookies. I then went over to the refrigerator and grabbed the carton of milk. As I began to pour myself a glass of milk, a sudden flashback came to mind. When I was little, my father and I would do the exact thing I was doing right now. "We both have loud minds," he would say.

Shaking the thought away, I grabbed my glass of milk and plate of cookies and walked towards the living room area. After flopping down onto to the big comfy couch, I then turned on the television. But just as I took my first bite on my cookies, Keri Richardson's voice from Star News filled the room. Looking up slowly to the television, I had the sudden urge to switch the channel knowing that it was a probably a replay from a few hours ago. I never understood why people even bothered stalking celebrities every move-- it just didn't make sense. But just as I was about to grab the remote control, the celebrity news reporter said something that caught my attention.

As Keri Richardson stood there with her blonde hair curled, a picture of two familiar faces exiting a restaurant popped onto the screen.

"With the arrival of Vincent Gray, the infamous lead singer of Ever After, rumours are already swirling around that the rest of the band members are here in Toronto as well," Keri Richardson started.

"You're voice is so annoying," I murmured to myself.

She then continued, "Ever After's rep have neither confirmed or deny these rumours yet. But last night, Ever After's drummer, Erik Jackson, was seen leaving a high-class restaurant in downtown with a girl that had bright red hair..."

I literally spat out the milk I was drinking as they did a close-up on the picture. And I immediately recognized that petite girl standing side-by-side with Erik as they shielded their eyes with their hands from the blinding lights of the cameras. It was Gracie.

My mouth hung wide open as I recalled the moment on the bus today when she was trying to tell me about her date with Erik. Did she even know what was going to happen to her? The freaking paparazzi caught a picture of her face! For Christ's sake, girls from all over the world will be ready to come at her with hurtful words through the Internet. Not the mention the amount of girls from our school who will be coming at her with torches and whatnot.