Totally Clueless

Chapter 23

Chrisy had perfected her driving skills and gotten her licences after just 10 days of being Josh's student.

She could now drive herself anywhere she wanted to go in her brand new convertable, thanks to Josh.

She no longer had to be a passenger in someone else's car or sit in the back seat of a luxury lemo while Kenny chauffeured her around unless she chose to.

Independence was bliss.

Reid began to open up to Kerry in ways she never thought He would. He was an open book for her and she read and read. Chapter after chapter she fell deeper for him as his story unfolded, as he shared himself with her. Of course there were things he never said. But in due time he would have to.

Josh on the other hand remained an unattainable treasure. He had left his past in the past and dismissed it everytime Chrisy would bring it up.

One evening while she and Josh hung out in the den. She bagan to tell him about her mothers special chocolate chip cookies. It was difficult for her to speak of her mother but Josh continued to sooth every heart breaking moment of it.

"Sometimes locking away the past hurts much more than enbracing it."

He had told her. Just before he taught her how to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies all on her own. From a premixed package of course. And after 3 batches she had finally gotten it right.

It was an undertaking that would draw her closer to the happy memories of her mother. Something that would always be with her.

Eagerly she had gone to her father and exitedly explained one more path that Josh had opened up to her and once again Horace began to notice the role Josh was beginning to play in his daughters life.

Ironically however, that very same evening when Chrisy sat in the den next to Josh crunching into the cookies that were now cool she tried engaging him in a conversation that just did not take.

" Babe...." she glanced at him with soft eyes filled with gratitude for always trying to make her happy. "Im always blabbing to you about my mom...and you always listen. You make it so easy for me to talk about her....and yet you never talk about yours, how come you dont ever mention her?"

"Theres nothing to tell." He had simply said, and that was the end of that.

Sometimes he'd seem so far away to her.

Distracted.

Like there were issues, hidden pains that distanced her from him just a bit. If only he would completely let her into his world, then maybe she would have been able to sooth those wounds...

... or off course it could all just be in her head. Maybe she was searching too hard. Looking for things that weren't there. Maybe Josh was just fine and there was nothing at all to tell.

Their phones never stopped ringing for two weeks.

Their mystery caller was as persistent as they came. They were almost completely out of excuses as to why they were ignoring their phone calls. Chrisy and Kerry became more and more convinced that something was up. But the boys denied it. Chrisy waited for Josh to tell her what was bothering him but he always blew her off.

"Its nothing" he'd say, or, "everything is fine" and all she could do was take his word.

How was he suppose to tell her he was ignoring his own mother.

As the girls enjoyed their regular pool side cocktail one Sunday the subject came up.

"I'm beginning to think I'm paranoid Kerry..." Chrisy began.

"Hate to break it to you hun but y'are..."

Chrisy rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"I've been distracted lately...Josh gets these calls that he never answers...."

"Reid too....But I just tried to not think about it...Reid and I talk all the time...If there was something I'm sure he would have said."

"The other day when Josh checked his caller I'D he told me it was his landlord even though he's out of the country and they're payed up for the whole year..."

Kerry knitted her brunette brow in confusion.

"Reid said it was the power company." Kerry added.

Doubt began to cloud her thoughts.

"Why would they lie to us?" She thought out loud.

"I know right...I just keep telling myself it's nothing to worry about and wait for Josh to say something....But I'll die and rot in my grave before he opens up to me....He's got these walls Kerry... with gates and locks and guards...I don't know if I'll ever get to see whats on the other side of them..."

"He'll come around...But Reid....He's the opposite of that and to find out he's lieing to me....girl....I,'mma make some noise about this..."

"No...just leave it alone, Kerr...promise me...it might be nothing...although ...."

"Oh God...what else?"

"So I saw his phone one day when he was ignoring it as usual...it..said, Maata...that's mother in hindi...that doesn't make any sense...who ignores their mother...Especially being so far from her, they must really miss her...something just seems...off"

"You want me to ask him about it, cause I'll ask...you know I'm not scared."

"No...we trust them right?"

Kerry knodded her head in agreement.

"So we wait...If something is going on, they'll tell us when they're ready, we should give them some time..."

"Your right...besides, it could all just be in our heads."

Time spent together was not scarce with Josh and Chrisy. They got closer and closer. After a couple of dates and a few doubles with Kerry and Reid Horace had clearly realized Josh's intentions. Surprisingly to them both, he had allowed their relationship to continue without protest but clear ground rules were set. Who else would be better for his daughter than someone he could have eyes on all the time. Horace couldnt find any fault with Josh.

At least not yet.