 |
||||||||||
|
You can start at the beginning of Everything's Going to Be Alright HERE!
In episode #16 of Everything's Going to Be Alright: The day after suffering public abuse at the hands of her father, an embarrassed Clemson faced not only the man she loved, but her arch nemesis Kat and her mother.
NOW, in episode #17: Randi has to deal with Dru as a fellow employee, and Cassie goes to another man to receive advice on her life.
Episode #17:
The
past couple of hours had been torture on Randi.
Working side by side with Dru, giving him orders, seeing him
watch her out of the corner of his eye.
She was beginning to feel very antsy, more so because she
hadn’t come to any conclusions about Dru and Maxwell.
Dru had asked her earlier if she had made her decision and when
she told him no, he accused her of stringing Maxwell and him along.
Randi was pissed by that accusation.
It was not even the case. She
was confused, trying to decide who she wanted to be with.
Max or Dru? Dru or
Max? There were pros and
cons for each of them, but she needed a deciding factor.
Her heart, but for the time being, her heart didn’t want to get
into it.
Being up in the office, Randi had a clear view of Dru, and she
took full advantage of it. Watching
him on the floor, checking inventory, interacting with the other
employees. She noticed him
talking to Kim, the tramp of the store.
Randi watched Kim laugh, tossing her long hair over her shoulder
and leaning into Dru. “What
the hell is he doing?” Randi whispered.
Dru had some nerve to be on the floor gallivanting with Kim,
letting her openly flaunt with him.
She wasn’t going to let this get to her.
Dru wasn’t her man and there was no logical reason for her to
be all up in arms over him talking to another woman.
Even if it was right in front of her face.
Randi sighed, running her hands over her short cropped hair.
“I have more important things to think about,” she muttered.
And she did. A couple
of hours ago, Caduceus called her to give Randi the 411 about last
night. When she heard about
what happened, she cried, wishing she could leave and go find Clemson.
Randi knew all too well about Clemson and her attacks from her
father. Since hit number
one, Randi was there to comfort Clemson, to listen to her and shower her
with love, the one thing that vanished between Clemson and Calvin.
But this time it was major. He
attacked her in front of her mother and sister.
They finally knew about the pain that Clemson had been going
through for several years. Randi
knew that even if Clemson said she was all right, like she did in the
past, this time she wasn’t. This
would hit her hard because now she couldn’t throw on a happy smile and
pretend things were okay. “Deep in thought?” Randi knew it was Dru and didn’t turn around.
“Just
thinking about Clem.”
“You hear anything more since this morning?”
“No,” Randi said, leaning her forehead against the desk.
“Cadu mentioned that Clem may stop by to see me, but so far, no
Clem.”
Randi heard Dru walk up behind her, placing his hands on her
shoulders. Her first
instinct was to flinch and tell Dru to back off; she couldn’t think
straight with him touching her. But
she didn’t. She felt every
cell inside of her breathe deeply as she relaxed.
“She’s going to be okay you know,” Dru said, massaging
Randi’s shoulders.
“I can’t be sure this time,” Randi said.
“This is major. I
just wish she would come here. I
can’t concentrate on work. I
can’t concentrate on anything. I
need to see her and see for myself that she’s okay.”
“I understand that, Ran. She’s
your best friend.” Randi
nodded, feeling a knot in her throat, the pain of her best friend
seeping into herself.
“Yeah,” Randi whispered, as emotions began to take her voice.
“My best friend.” Randi
closed her eyes, feeling Dru’s fingers knead her shoulders, her neck.
Dru’s warm breath made the hairs on the back of Randi’s neck
stand. “Feel good?” he
whispered.
Randi shivered, moaning softly.
She should be fighting this.
Fighting the feelings she was feeling.
Fighting the tingling sensation that was moving up and down her
spine.
Dru pressed his lips against the back of Randi’s neck, kissing
her, as she moaned. “Dru,”
she said. “We shouldn’t
be doing this.” Randi’s
eyes fluttered opened, snapping her back into reality.
She saw Clemson down on the floor and jolted.
“It’s Clem,” she said, jumping up from the chair and racing
down to the floor, leaving Dru to slowly follow behind her.
Randi stood, looking at Clemson, noticing the tired look in her
eyes.
Randi could see the defeated stance in Clemson, her black short
set matching the black mood Clemson was in, her hair pulled tightly into
a bun. Randi walked up to
Clemson and reached out to her, letting Clemson fall into her arms.
“I am so sorry,” Randi said.
Randi noticed the customers and employees watching, so she walked
Clemson out front. “Let me
see what he did to you, Hon.”
Clemson lifted her face and Randi gasped as she took in purple
bruises along the left side of Clemson’s face and the swollen bottom
lip. “He really wanted
them to take notice, didn’t he?”
“Yeah,” Clemson said, nodding.
“He wanted to make sure everyone could see what he does to
me.” “How are you feeling?”
Clemson
walked away and sat on the sidewalk in front of the store.
“Like shit,” she said. “Mom’s
ready to kill Dad, Cadu wants to hire a hit man, Tre wants to keep me
under his wing, I hate this.”
“So what are you going to do?” Randi asked, sitting down
beside Clem.
“What can I do? I
want to do what I’ve always done.
Suffer and forget.”
“But you have really never forgotten, Clem.
It’s always there.”
“Well what do you suggest I do?”
“Girl, I wish I knew.” Randi sighed.
“I do know that you are going to have to vent before you
explode. I can see it
building up inside you.”
“I know you’re right, but right now, I can’t.
I have to wait til I’m more stable, more in control of the
situation.”
“You also need someone there for you.”
“And believe me, there will be.
When that time comes.” Randi
and Clemson hugged one another, not saying a word.
“You know,” Clemson said, “I feel like I’m at point A all
over again.”
“How so?”
“I’ve always been able to deal with these situations and get
past them as best as I could.
“But now, with Cadu and Mom knowing, it’s like I have to deal
with this like it’s the very first time.
Yes, Dad hitting me was wrong, but it became second nature in my
life. I expected it.”
Randi wiped at her eyes, sniffling.
“I’m not going to say you were wrong from keeping this from
the fam, Clem, but maybe you should be starting at the beginning.
“Now you can feel all the anger and vent it out, instead of
keeping it inside, to eat away at you.”
“I don’t know,” Clemson said, shaking her head.
“I just don’t know.”
“I’m going to help you know, Clem,” Randi said.
“I’m going to help you get through this.
We’re going to be all right.”
Clemson smiled at Randi. A
small smile, the pain of her mouth keeping her from doing much movement
with it. “I love you so
much, RanRan,” Clemson said, hugging Randi tightly.
“I love you, too, Girl.”
Randi and Clemson looked up to see a Four Runner pull into the
parking lot.
“Is that Maxwell?” Clemson asked.
“Uh, yeah,” Randi said, getting nervous.
“He doesn’t know Dru is working here.”
“What? Are you
serious?”
“Very.” Maxwell
pulled up into the spot beside where Clemson and Randi sat.
He locked the truck, signaling his car alarm, as he made his way
over.
“Hey you two,” he said, smiling.
Clemson turned her face away from Maxwell, looking at Randi.
“Hey there yourself,” Randi said, getting up and giving him a
hug. “What are you doing
here?”
“Just came to see you. Say
hi.”
“Uh huh.” Randi
shot her eyebrow up at Maxwell. “No
other reason?”
“What other reason would I have?”
“None.”
“Now that that’s settled,” Maxwell said, “how’s it
going, Clem?” Clemson
maneuvered herself so that Maxwell could only see her right side.
“I’m doing fine, Max,” Clemson answered.
“How about yourself?”
“Work, work, and more work.
The normal.”
Clemson stood and went to Randi.
“I’m gonna jet. Come
over tomorrow morn so we can have breakfast.
I’ll get Mom to make chocolate chip pancakes.”
“I’ll be there around 8:30,” Randi said, giving Clemson a
hug. “If you need me,
please call me.”
“Will do. Love
you.” “Back at you.”
Clemson
quickly waved at Maxwell and walked over to Tre’s Landcruiser.
Watching Clemson leave, Maxwell moved behind Randi, sliding his
arms around her.
“Is Clem okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Randi answered. “Just
going through some things.”
“Things you want to discuss?”
“Nope.” Randi
turned around to make it back into the store.
She stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed Dru standing in the
entrance way.
“Telephone, Randi,” Dru said, eyeing Maxwell.
Randi moved past Dru to answer the phone, leaving Maxwell and Dru
to stand face to face, sizing one another up.
“Dru,” Maxwell said.
“Max.”
Maxwell was about to ask Dru why the hell he was there, but he
saw the name tag on Dru’s shirt.
“Don’t tell me you work here,” Max said.
Dru grinned, his dark eyes flashing much mischief.
“Okay,” Dru said, turning to go back into the store.
Randi saw Dru come back into the store, picking up his clipboard
to finish up the inventory. Maxwell
followed behind him, angry. Randi
sat in the office, waiting for Maxwell to come in and rant and rave.
When Maxwell walked into the office, he simply stood there, his
eyes fixated on Randi.
“What?” Randi asked, irritated.
“When were you going to tell me about Dru working here?”
So he found out. Randi
didn’t even care. She
shrugged.
“Why does it matter?” Randi
asked. “It’s a job and
it doesn’t concern you.”
“Oh it doesn’t? Your
ex working up in here with you isn’t my concern?”
“No, because he’s simply working here.”
Randi turned away from Maxwell, sifting through a pile of papers
on the desk.
“Don’t turn away from me while we’re in the middle of a
discussion,” Maxwell said. “Like
you’re dismissing me.”
“Not you,” Randi responded, “just the conversation.
I didn’t go and bring Dru here, my district manager did, so get
off my back, will you?”
“Well I’m sure Dru will use this to get in with you.”
“Dru can do whatever he wants.
Won’t phase me.” “Are you so sure about that?” Maxwell asked. |||||
Should I or shouldn’t I? That
was the question running through Cassie’s mind.
For the last hour or two, she had been sitting on the couch with
the cordless in her hand, wondering if she should call Darius.
“He told me to call him,” Cassie said to herself.
“What harm will it do?” Doing
it before she changed her mind, Cassie dialed his number.
When she heard his voice on the phone, she froze.
“Darius Wilson speaking.”
“Yes, Hi,” Cassie said, suddenly feeling shy.
“You may not remember me, but...”
“Hello Cassie,” Darius said, in that voice that was made for
making women fall.
“So you do remember?” Cassie asked, smiling.
“You have a beautiful voice.”
“Yours isn’t bad either.”
They laughed.
“So how are you doing, Cassie?” Darius asked.
“Truth be known, I didn’t think you were going to call me.”
“I know this is probably strange, but I recall you telling me
that if I needed someone to talk to I could call you.”
“Yes, I said that and I meant it.”
“Well,” Cassie said, whispering, “I kinda needed someone to
talk to.”
“I can hear it in your voice that something is wrong.”
“I don’t know where to begin.
Or even if I should.”
“Why not?” Darius asked.
“Is it that you don’t trust me?”
“It’s just really difficult to talk about.”
Cassie began to tear up.
“Just try, Cassie. All
I will do is listen if you want me to.”
Taking a deep breath, Cassie said, “Last night changed my
life.”
“How?”
“My husband...he’s not who I thought he was.”
“Did he cheat on you?” Darius asked, his voice lowered.
“No, but I could have accepted that better.”
Cassie began to cry.
“Please tell me, Cassie. What’s
wrong?” Cassie gripped the
phone as her tears fell, gripping it so hard her hands began to tremble.
“Are you still there, Cassie?” Darius asked.
“Yes.”
“Please talk to me. If
you can’t, I will understand, but you sound like you need someone to
talk to.”
“I do,” Cassie said.
“So tell me,” Darius said, his voice deep and soothing.
Cassie closed her eyes. “Last
night, my husband physically abused my daughter.”
Cassie shook the receiver. It
was so quiet on the other end, she thought Darius had hung up on her.
“Where is he at now?” Darius said, anger rising in his voice.
“I don’t know. I
kicked him out, told him I didn’t want to see him.”
“How’s your daughter?”
“Seemingly okay. It
appears this has been going on for a while now.”
“Dear God. She
never told you?”
“No,” Cassie said, her heart breaking.
To think Clemson kept this secret to keep her and Caduceus from
getting hurt. Cassie felt it
was her duty to protect her children at all cost, yet it was the other
way around. “She wanted to
protect me.”
“I’m at a loss for words here,” Darius said.
“As am I.”
“Tell me, how are you feeling?”
Cassie took a couple of minutes to think about that question.
How did she feel? Her
husband had abused her daughter and their “perfect” family was now
deceased.
“I feel lifeless,” Cassie said.
“My whole purpose for living, to make sure my baby girls are
happy and safe is a farce. I
couldn’t protect my daughter from her father.
God knows how long this has been going on.”
“You know it’s not your fault, right?” Darius asked.
“If you think it is, just get that out of your head right
now.”
“It is my fault. I
wasn’t there for Clem. All
these years, she was so distant with her father, very quiet, always
wanted to be alone.
“I didn’t pick up on any of that.
What kind of mother am I?”
“The kind who loves her children,” Darius said.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Cassie.
I can tell that you love your daughters, and although it’s hard
to except, you have to begin to work not only on Clemson’s recovery,
but your own, your family.”
“How do I do that?”
“It’s going to be hard,” Darius said.
“I can’t even lie to you, but you have to focus on the
present. I know you can’t
put this behind you, but you need to plan how you can go forward
together, not apart.”
“So you saying I should stay with my husband?”
“I can’t tell you yes or no about that.
That depends on how your relationship is.”
“Not good,” Cassie said, sighing.
“It has been bad for a long time.
Even Cadu and Clem have questioned me as to why I’m still with
him.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, why are you still with him?”
“That is the million dollar question, Darius.
I have no idea.”
“Do you love him?”
Did she still love Calvin? If
she really had to answer that question right now, she would say no.
Cassie loved the old Calvin of say 10, 15 years ago, but so much
had changed since then. She
tried to help him through his alcoholism, trying to get him to admit he
was an alcoholic, but he didn’t want to budge.
He wouldn’t help himself.
It had been so long since Cassie felt the love she had always
wanted. To have someone
listen to her, hold her, be there for her when she was weak.
She ached for that and there was a spot in her heart empty,
waiting for someone who could do those things to fill it up.
But was Calvin that man?
“Do I love him?” Cassie asked.
“I can’t answer that right now.
My mind is so clouded, all I see is hate.”
“I don’t know if you want my advice or not,” Darius said.
“Not like what I think matters.”
“It does. Please
tell me.”
“If you’re feeling clouded in regards to your husband, focus
on you and the girls now. Leave
him for later, when you feel you can deal with it.”
“That’s good advice,” Cassie said, as she wondered if she
would ever be able to deal with it.
|
|||||||||
