Dream Big (Sequel to Dreamer)

Chapter Fifteen

Tia's POV

I ran into Chandler's arms, hugging him tightly as he held on to me. The plane ride was awful, I had been stressing the whole time about when or if my parents would ever find me. Chandler pulled his cap down lower, and when I pulled away I did the same to the hat Nathan had given me. He wrapped his arm around me, and we headed to baggage claim. I grabbed my backpack and duffel bag, and Chandler grabbed my suitcase. We carried my bags to his car, not needing to say a word. People tried catching glimpses of his face underneath his hat, but always failed to. We had to bob and weave through the crowds, me grasping his shirt in an attempt at keeping up with him. The things that were all left unsaid, they were felt. We missed each other like crazy, and we knew he was in love with me, but I didn't return the same emotion. He helped me load the bags into his car; first my suitcases, then the duffel bag, and finally my backpack. Chandler walked with me around to my car door, and opened it for me. I smiled at him kindly as I climbed in, and then we shut it together. I began to buckle as he walked around the back of the car, checking to make sure the trunk was shut tight. Chandler gave the lid a few shoves, nodding in satisfaction before walking to the driver's side and climbing in. I sat quietly beside him, waiting for him to shut the door before I actually spoke. Chandler had the same thought process as I did, coincidentally, and we both said each other's names at the same time. We gave each other a goofy smile, and he took off his hat. "Why the sudden trip to LA?" He asks, and I smirk. "Why the sudden move to LA?"I retort. "Touché..." Chandler says slowly, turning to get buckled. I giggle, tucking my hair behind my ear. I scoot closer to Chandler, and he puts his arm around me. I watch him crank the car, and shift it into reverse. "Do your parents know you're here, heading to Canada illegally?" Chandler asks, backing out of the parking space. "It's not illegal if you tricked them into signing the papers." I reason, looking at my fidgeting fingers. "So, that's a no." He chuckled, rubbing my arm. "How'd you do it?" Chandler asks, and shrug. "I told them that I wanted to be a foreign exchange student. There was a student in Canada that wanted to do the same. I printed out some fake papers, and I got the papers that I actually needed for a green card for a minor printed out. I had them fill out the paperwork needed filled out. I did my part, and they did their's." I explain, sighing. "At what point did they realize there wasn't really a foreign exchange student coming?" He asked, and I groaned at the memory. "They called the school, wanting to see if they could host the student instead of the fake family I told them." I felt Chandler wince, and then he asked how they found out about Shawn. "They demanded my phone after I got back from Los Angeles and I healed. They knew I was talking to somebody from here, and they knew I was also talking to you, but they didn't know I was dating a twenty year old man, whom is constantly surrounded by a bunch of underage girls." I explained, giving a lot of sass at the end. "They flipped out;" I continue, "they took my phone, grounded me, and took my car." I sighed, scooting closer to Chandler. I wasn't even paying attention to our surroundings. "Tell me everything. Explain how you got here, how you got the phone, everything." Chandler urged, and I nodded. "I used my friend Merry's phone to message Shawn on Instagram. I logged into my account, and I sent him a DM. I told him everything that happened. I told him that I didn't know if we would ever be able to talk again. He told me he would send me a phone in the mail. I told him that it couldn't be sent to my house. Merry said he could send it to her house. So he did. I got the phone, and I set it up at school. I've been able to hide it from my parents the entire time. Shawn and I have never done anything illegal. We've never talked about doing anything, or sending anything. The worst thing we've done is see each other in swim suits, and even then my bathing suit covered everything. You could only see part of my stomach." I explain, and Chandler nods and listens. I look up at him, and he's looking at the road. "After a few weeks, and my parents hadn't backed down, they kept saying that the next time they're in town they're going to the Tuscaloosa Police Department. So, obviously, I told Shawn. I told him I wasn't happy here, especially since they had no reason to hate him. We hadn't don't anything illegal. They kept insisting and insisting that he just wanted to use me for sex, that I meant nothing to him, but they're wrong. If he didn't care about me, then he would've ran already. Shawn made a joke about me running away to Canada, and I told him that I didn't think it was a bad idea. He tried to talk me out of it, but then he realized that if we played our cards right then it wasn't too far fetched. I tricked my parents with the papers, I waited for the day they wouldn't be here, I packed my bags, and I left. I met Nathan in Tuscaloosa at a restaurant in town. I left my car there, and we took his to the bus station. After that, we took a bus to Atlanta. We stayed overnight in a hotel, and we parted ways at the airport. He left for the bus station after making sure I was safe, and then I took a plane to L.A.. You know the rest." I finished my rant, and I looked up to see we were at his place. He parked his car, and I grabbed my purse and overnight bag. "You can just leave everything you don't have to have in the car. We can get the rest later." Chandler said, and I nodded. "Your girlfriend..." I start, and he cuts me off. "She knows you're coming. She'll be around for dinner, if that's okay with you." Chandler explains, and I nodded. "Yeah, absolutely. I was hoping to meet her." I smiled, and we began to climb out of the car. I shut my door carefully, and Chandler led me inside. The curtains were drawn as we entered the house, and the lights were out. It was completely dark. Chandler flipped on the lights, and my jaw dropped along with my bags. I jumped over them, running at full force at the figure in the middle of the room. "Uncle Norman!" I yelled, and we hugged. He spun me around, and I hugged him tightly. "Tia." He whispered in my ear as I grinned, assuming me was too. "I think someone else wants a hug." He tells me, putting me down and pulling away. I looked to my left, and saw the only tall person in the room. "Don't think I don't remember you and your badass costume." He chuckled, and I rushed over to hug Jeffery. We hugged tightly, and I pulled away to turn to look at Chandler. "You." I chuckle, and I begin to walk over to him. "You set this up didn't you?" I ask, already knowing the answer. Chandler puts a fake innocent look on his face, and then smiles. "Maybe..." He says, prolonging the ay sound. I jump on him, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. He holds me up by my thighs, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Thank you." I whisper in his ear, and he moves his head to whisper back. "You're welcome." Chandler whispers back, and we stay like that for a few more seconds. Chandler puts me down, and I turn around to look at Norman and Jeffery. Norman was now holding a tray of tacos that looked like Taco Bell. "Taco?" He offered, and I stepped foreword to take one. "Don't mind if I do." I say, politely taking one. I hear footsteps, and from out of the hall emerges a, at one time, a bearded badass. "Sorry I'm late, I'm a wee bit jet lagged." Comes out in a British accent, and I freeze. "Chandler, how many more people are you hiding in your house?" I ask, looking at Andrew in shock. I hear a stifled laugh, and look over to see Katelyn Nacon standing in the door way of the kitchen. I took a bite out of my taco, ate it, mumbled a few words, and the world turned black.