The Day She Returned

[ChaosDAmore]

Alana Johnson was a senior high school with the world in front of her. She made great grades, was friends with everyone, had the best parents in the world, she was incredibly beautiful and she was in love. She was truly, deeply in love with her boyfriend. They had been together for 3 years and had endured the rough times and cried during the joyful times. They were the picture perfect couple. Both attractive and only had eyes for each other. Not to mention, their sex life was amazing. Her life was perfect or so it seemed.

While in class one day, Alana got the terrible news. Both of her parents had been killed in a freak accident. Alana was torn apart on the inside. She was incredibly close with her parents and loved them more than life itself but fate had dealt her a cruel hand. The night after the funeral, Alana left town. She told no one that she was leaving, not even the love of her life. She knew that everyone would be hurt by her leaving and not leaving a note or even saying goodbye but she felt it was the best thing she could have done. Everything about the little town made her depressed. It reminded of her of her mother and father. The life she once had.

Now, five years later Alana is returning back to her small southern hometown. It had taken her five years to realize that everything she needed in life was back in that town. She just hoped that no one would hold it against her. By the time she entered town and got settled down into her hotel room, she was sure some people already knew about her arrival.

Once settled in, she climbed into her car and headed for her parents home. They had left it to her in the will but she never had the heart to enter the house again.

((Open to anyone! All we need is neighboors, childhood friends and of course the boyfriend. PM me with your character first so I can mark it off as taken!!))

 

[gagonthis]

Joe - the boyfriend

Joe couldn't believe the news. His mom had just told him hat Alana was back in town, apparently staying at Gretchen's hotel. Mom and Gretchen were good friends, and gossip tended to spread quickly Joe was torn. He didn't know how to feel. He knew he was angry. She had run out on him without a single explanation five years ago. Sure she had just lost her parents, but Joe thought that would make her appreciate the people she had who loved her even more, but apparently he was wrong. She had left without a word, leaving Joe crushed and heartbroken. He looked down at his prosthetic leg. Half the reason he had signed up for the Marines straight out of highschool was because of her. He wanted to get away. He wanted to get away further than any of the colleges begging him to come play football for them would take him. Combine his confusion about Alana with the patriotic fervor this town had after 9/11 and it was only natural Joe would go do his duty for his country.
Joe sighed, he couldn't really blame Alana for his leg. She didn't force him to join up, and she sure as hell wasn't involved in the ambush in the Afghani mountains that left Joe with a useless left leg. But he was still mad. For five years he'd struggled, wondering if it was something he'd done that drove her off. Five years with no contact, only photographs and old love notes to look at, five years of memories of her scent and her body, memories of the things they used to do together. Fuck it Joe thought. He wasn't going to seek her out. If she wants to apologize for the fucked up things she did then she can find me and do it herself. He turned back to work, Mr. Thompson's exhaust wasn't going to fix itself.

 

[ChaosDAmore]

Alana stood out on the front porch of her parents old home and sighed softly as she sat down on the small porch swing. Old memories of sitting on the swing and laughing with Joe started to fill her mind. She knew that what she had done was wrong and if she could do it all over again, she would but she couldn't and she would have to deal with the consequences of her actions. Alana knew nothing about Joe joining the military and loosing his leg in an ambush. She figured he was happily married with a great set of kids by now. He was an incredible guy that any woman would be lucky to have as a husband. She shook her head slightly and headed inside the house to look around some.

After a few hours, Alana emerged from the house and spotted one of her old neighboors, "Hey, Mrs. Williams! How are you? " She smiled and spoke with Mrs. Williams for a while before leaving the house. She was absolutely starving and wondered if the place where Joe and Alana had their first date was still open. With a shrug of her shoulders, she climbed into her car and headed towards Bettys Diner.

Once she arrived at Betty's Diner she was greeted by a few people that she had known but none of them mentioned anything about Joe to her. She guessed that Joe had long since moved away and she wasn't even a thought in his mind anymore. She sighed some and took a seat at a booth by the window that faced the parking lot.

 

[gagonthis]

Joe finally clocked out hours later, covered in grease and grime. Washing off his hands his dad came over and put his hand on Joe's shoulder. "Good work today son. I'm going to head home in Barney's car, I promised I'd take a look at it for him today." Joe chuckled, Barney was one of his dad's oldest friends, and Joe always felt that his father was too kind to the guy. "Free of charge right dad?" He asked a little sarcastically. His dad just shrugged. "Anyway son, should I tell Ma to leave a little dinner for you when you get home?" He asked. "No thanks, I was going to stop by Betty's and grab a cheeseburger and then maybe go shoot some hoops for a little while." His dad smiled, pleased to see his son hadn't let the loss of his leg keep him from doing the things he loved. "Alright then, see ya later tonight."

Joe limped his way out to his truck, exchanging his leg he used at work for one that was more comfortable for more physical tasks. Several minutes later he was on the road. He thought about Alana the whole trip. Fearing that she might be at Betty's, maybe he should just go home he thought to himself. No way, there was no way he was going to let her scare him away from the places he wanted to be. She was the outsider now, not him. Pulling up and parking, he gingerly exited the truck and walked into the restaurant, making sure his pants were entirely covering his leg. Most people knew, but he didn't like the sympathy they'd give him when they could see it. He refused to be pitied. Striding in the front door he took his now usual seat at the bar. "Hey Betty, how's business been? Yeah had a long day myself, boy if these hands could talk. How about a cheeseburger and a half coke half Dr. Pepper?" He smiled as Betty mouthed his order while he was saying it. He'd been coming here since he was a wee youngin, and the half and half was sort of his trademark, Betty jokingly called it Joe Cola.

 

[ChaosDAmore]

Alana blinked slightly as she heard the voice that she dreamt of most nights, just the sound of his voice was enough to bring tears to her eyes but she faught the tears back. She had missed Joe so much and here he was, in Bettys Diner, sitting not more than 15 feet away from her. She turned and looked at him with a small smile, he looked like he was doing ok for himself but there was no woman with him. The poor woman must be at home tending to the kids but thats not the Joe she knew. He would be at home with the kids as well. Maybe he wasnt with anyone. She shrugged slightly as she glanced away from him and spotted a few people staring at her like she should walk up to him. They were after all, the towns sweethearts. Everyone knew them and knew how in love they were. One of the set backs of living in a small town.

She sighed softly then whispered to someone who was sitting near her, " Stop staring at me like that. This ain't fair." Her voice hadn't lost its adorable southern accent as she whined to the person then laughed a little. " If we talk, then we talk. You staring at me ain't gunna help." She shook her head and took a bit from her cheeseburger. Betty still made the best cheeseburgers around. Alana couldn't help but looked at Joe every now and then. It was like he hadn't aged at all.

 

[DMB1981]

Hayden, Alana's brother

Hayden picked up the phone for the fourth time, this time intent on actually dialing a number. “It’s not like you haven’t talked to her since then!” he told himself. He had, in fact, talked to his baby sister many times since she left town. But that was when she was hundreds of miles away, not at the diner just two miles from his office. Hayden had followed in his father’s footsteps and become a dentist. After his parents death, his father’s partner had promised to keep the practice open until he finished dental school, at which point he would retire and Hayden would be left with an already successful practice. It would have been his father’s dream.
With trembling fingers Hayden dialed Alana’s cell, half way hoping she wouldn’t answer.

 

[gagonthis]

Alana blinked slightly as she heard the voice that she dreamt of most nights, just the sound of his voice was enough to bring tears to her eyes but she faught the tears back. She had missed Joe so much and here he was, in Bettys Diner, sitting not more than 15 feet away from her. She turned and looked at him with a small smile, he looked like he was doing ok for himself but there was no woman with him. The poor woman must be at home tending to the kids but thats not the Joe she knew. He would be at home with the kids as well. Maybe he wasnt with anyone. She shrugged slightly as she glanced away from him and spotted a few people staring at her like she should walk up to him. They were after all, the towns sweethearts. Everyone knew them and knew how in love they were. One of the set backs of living in a small town.

She sighed softly then whispered to someone who was sitting near her, " Stop staring at me like that. This ain't fair." Her voice hadn't lost its adorable southern accent as she whined to the person then laughed a little. " If we talk, then we talk. You staring at me ain't gunna help." She shook her head and took a bit from her cheeseburger. Betty still made the best cheeseburgers around. Alana couldn't help but looked at Joe every now and then. It was like he hadn't aged at all.

The mood seemed the somber shortly after Joe had walked in. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it seemed like the conversation had become more hushed around the diner. Joe looked around, trying to figure out the source of the disturbance. He looked down at his leg, adjusting his pants, wondering if maybe his prosthetic was sticking out. When he raised his eyes again he saw her staring at him. His heart nearly exploded right there. Two booths over sat the girl who had ripped his soul in half. She wasn't supposed to be here he thought and she wasn't still supposed to look so beautiful. He wanted to scream, he wanted to stand up and walk over to her and yell in her face, call her all the nasty words he knew, humiliate her, shame her. Instead all he could do was stare. Why was she still so goddamn beautiful? It wasn't fair. He stood completely flabbergasted, trying to work up the nerve to tell her to fuck off. Instead all he could do was stutter "A..A...Alana?"

 

[ChaosDAmore]

Alana just stared at Joe and nodded some, "Yeah it's me..........I, uh.............Just came back to see how everyone was and to uh, move into my parents home........" She looked around the diner and saw everyone staring at them. This was just so unfair. She deserved to have Joe angry with her, not looking at her the way he was. Even if he didn't realize it, his facial expressions were still soft and loving.

The only thing that tore her eyes from him was her cell phone then she looked at the name on the caller I.D. " Hayden.........Oh god. " She looked at Joe and answered her phone with a bit of a shaky voice, " Hayden, how are you.............I'm at Betty's." She kept staring at Joe, like she couldn't believe it was him sitting there but there was something different about him. Like he was self conscience about something.

 

[gagonthis]

Joe thought he had to be dreaming. Even with all the warning she was back in town he never expected to run into her so soon. He thought he'd have time to get himself together, come up with a speech. Anything but this. Now he felt like an idiot, sitting here staring at her. Why couldn't he get mad at her? He just kept staring.

The sound of her cell phone shattered Joe's reality. Blinking as she answered all the fury came rising back to the surface. Fuck her. He thought again, Fuck all this shit. "Betty I'm gonna be needin a tago box." He drawled as he stood up, careful not to let his bad leg show as Betty boxed up his burger. He grabbed his coat, fumbling his truck keys out and stormed out of the restaurant, slamming the door after him. He climbed into his truck turned it on and sat there staring into the restaurant at Alana and then staring down at his leg. He pulled out of the parking lot and accelerated hard, uncried tears in his eyes.

 

[DMB1981]

Hayden

Alana's voice on the other end of the line was bittersweet, as always. This time, though, it was even more bitter... and more sweet. There were times when Hayden understood why Alana had run away. Living in this small town, it was impossible to escape anything, especially the stares and pity that were directed at he and his sister after their parents' death. He was lucky-- he was already away at school when the tragedy occurred. Alana was caught right in the middle of it all.
"Hey Alana...I'm good....are you in town yet... OK, well my last patient's at 4, so I'll see you around 5... yeah, I'll just come over to the house... bye."
Short, awkward and to the point, just like all of their conversations. Hayden wondered if it would be any easier in person.

 

[ChaosDAmore]

Alana watched as Joe left Bettys then she dropped some money on the table and went running outside, leaving her food uneaten. " Oh god Hayden, how long has Joe hated me? " She sighed softly as their conversation ended, " 5 it is." She climbed into her car then drove off in the same direction that Joe had headed in. Alana had to catch up with him. She had to talk with him, tell him how much she missed him and how much she still loved him.

She grabbed her cell phone and called the last cell phone she had for Joe but she had no idea if it was still his number or not. She just prayed it was. " Come on Joe...........Please answer the phone!" Alana was near in tears as she searched the roads for him but after not being able to find him, she gave up and pulled over on the side of the road. She let out all the tears that she had been keeping in for the past 5 years as she sat there on the side of the road.

 

[gagonthis]

Joe heard his phone ringing, but didn't feel like talking to anyone. He turned his phone off as he continued to drive. Not sure where he was going, but knowing he had to get away. When Joe finally calmed down and regained coherence he realized he had ended up near their old highschool. Pulling up to the building memory after memory came flooding back to him. He remembered the first day he met Alana, hell he could even remember what she was wearing. Joe pulled himself out of his truck and walked down to the football field, breathing in the smell of fresh cut grass. He looked down at his leg again, a sorry reminder of what could have been.

Walking out to the 50 yard line he lay down staring into the sky. It was here that Joe had first kissed Alana on their second date. They'd gone to a movie and afterwards he'd brought her out here to look at the stars. He remembered holding her hand and trying to work up the courage to kiss her. He had almost chickened out, but he didn't. He had kissed her, and nothing had ever felt so right in the world. Laying here now staring at the stars he could almost still smell her in this grass, her intoxicating scent. He thought about everything that should have been and wasn't and sighed deeply as he stared into the moon.

 

[ChaosDAmore]

Alana finally pulled herself together then set her phone in her purse and drove away from the neighboorhood that she was in. As she drove along one of the roads, she ended up passing the high school and spotted Joe's truck. She should have known he would come here to be alone. Some of their best memories had been made at this high school. She pulled into the parking lot and parked next to his truck then she climbed out of the car.

She made her way towards the football field and spotted him laying down in the grass. Slowly, she made her way towards him while trying to be silent. Once she was within 20 feet of him or so she spoke, " Remember the night when spent out here. After our second date. You kissed me and you almost missed my lips." She laughed a little and looked at him with a sad look at on her face. Alana knew she had hurt him deeply and she could never forgive herself for that.

 

[macmillian]

He pulled the riding tractor lawn mower into the shed and put away the rest of his tools. He closed the shed doors and looked out across the two lawns that he just cut. Cliff Price had been taking care of the Johnson's property for Alana after she left town. They had been good neighbors and friends when his wife died almost fifteen years ago.

Clifford (Cliff) Price, 59, 6'6" tall, 225 lbs.,Muscular build.
Silvergrey hair and green eyes.
Widower, Friend of the Johnson Family.
Retired football player, 12 years NFL, Graduated Georgia Tech,Sports Analist and Broadcaster. Now a sports writer for the local papers (part-time).

I had heard that Alana was back in town, so I had decided to give the lawn a fresh cutting and trim. She would be glad to see that the property was kept up. It would be good to see her again. Hayden and her were like the children I never had. After Olga (my wife) died, the Johnson family had been my saving light. I feel bad that I could not have helped Alana like she had helped me.

It was going to be real nice to see her again. Moisture clouded my eyes and I had to stop and wipe them clear. I hope I don't act like this in front of Alana. Regardless, it was going to be wounderful to see her again.

 

[gagonthis]

Alana finally pulled herself together then set her phone in her purse and drove away from the neighboorhood that she was in. As she drove along one of the roads, she ended up passing the high school and spotted Joe's truck. She should have known he would come here to be alone. Some of their best memories had been made at this high school. She pulled into the parking lot and parked next to his truck then she climbed out of the car.

She made her way towards the football field and spotted him laying down in the grass. Slowly, she made her way towards him while trying to be silent. Once she was within 20 feet of him or so she spoke, " Remember the night when spent out here. After our second date. You kissed me and you almost missed my lips." She laughed a little and looked at him with a sad look at on her face. Alana knew she had hurt him deeply and she could never forgive herself for that.

Joe had been lost deep in thought with his eyes closed as Alana approached him. THe sound of her voice startled him and he tried to jump to his feet, stumbling awkwardly over his leg before collapsing back on the ground in pain. Looking up at her from the ground he narrowed his eyes. "Remember the night you ran out on me five years ago?" He shot back, venom in his words. As soon as the words escaped his lips he wished he could have them back. "I'm sorry... that was very low of me." He sighed quietly, trying to hide the tears falling from his eyes as he worked himself back to his feet, trying his hardest to keep his leg hidden from her, and hoping she wouldn't notice it in the darkness. "I... I heard you were back in town.. I didn't know what to do.. you hurt me bad. For five years I've been questioning my selfworth.. five years wondering why I couldn't be there for you. I've hurt... I want to hate you. I think a part of me does, but most of me is just glad to see you.. to know you're still doing ok." He sighed again as he stared into her eyes.

 

[ChaosDAmore]

She blinked slightly as he fell and she instantly went to his side to make sure he was ok. Even after everything, she still cared for him so deeply. The comment he made about her running caught her off guard as she sat there looking down at the ground as if he had slapped her in the face. " I'm sorry.....I didn't mean to hurt you. I swear to you I didn't." Alana saw the tears falling from his eyes and she instantly started crying then she noticed he was having a hard time standing up but she wasn't going to ask questions.

Alana stared back at him, " You shouldn't have been questioning your self-worth. You were the best thing that ever happened in my life but after my parents died, I just didn't know what to do and I didn't want you to see me broken like I was. So I left and it was stupid of me. I know that but I can't undo the past. " She sighed as he mentioned part of him hating her and she deserved it. " I'm not leaving again Joe. I'm here for good. This is my home and everyone here is my family. I've missed you. A lot........" She sat down on the grass and let some tears hit the grass. How could she have been so stupid?

 

[gagonthis]

Joe raged inside. It wasn't fair! She came back into his life, still as beautiful as ever and rather than giving him a reason to hate her, rather than being a different person, the type of person who would run out on a loved one, she returned the same Alana he remembered. He was filled with rage by the fact that he couldn't be mad at her. "This isn't fair." He said softly his eyes moving up to stare at the sky again. "This wasn't how it was supposed to be. I wanted you to come to me, and I was going to be strong and hate the person you had become. But you haven't changed... you're the same Alana I remember. The one I fell in love with. I wish I was the same Joe." He sobbed softly. "My life collapsed after you left. I wanted to blame it on you. I wanted to be able to hate you for everything bad that happened to me, but I can't... I just can't" He stared at her. Her eyes were still so beautiful...

 

[ChaosDAmore]

Alana looked at him as he sat there and sobbed next to her, " I deserve for you to hate me. I know how much I hurt you and I wish I could take all that pain away but I can't. I would if I could, in a heart beat, believe me. I am the Alana that I always have been but I'm older and wiser now." She sighed softly and picked at some grass pieces, still unaware of his prosthetic leg but she knew something was wrong with him.

She crawled over to him and wrapped her arms around him softly, " Please stop crying Joe. I hate to see people I love cry, you know that. You seem like the same old Joe I use to know. " She sighed softly and ran her fingers through his hair slowly as she held onto him tightly, like there was no tomorrow. " I have to meet my brother at my parents house at 5. Do you want to come?" Alana so desperatly wanted to make things right with Joe. She still loved him so much but she hated herself for doing this to him.

 

[gagonthis]

He sighed as she held him, almost all his anger metling away. Just a tiny bit in the back of his mind screaming, still enraged that she hadn't let him hate her. He couldn't deny it. He had held a torch for her for so many years. Even while cursing her name for leaving he would wonder how she was doing and whether she was happy. He had always hoped she'd come back to him. He had just always thought when she did he would be happy not to see her but to tell her to burn in hell. She had hurt him deeply, but it hurt so deep because he still needed her. He needed time though. He couldn't jump back from his hurtthat quickly. "Go without me please." He said, wiping tears from his face. "You've given me a lot I need to think about. Oh, and I'm not the same old Joe he said, lifting up his pant leg to show her his leg. "I haven't been the same for four years."

 

[DMB1981]

Any female is welcome to pick up this character if Chaos is OK with it

(If any ladies are interested, this could be one of Alana's friends who has come back into town to try to help her adjust to being back or something along those lines)

Hayden tried to focus on work, not on his sister's return to town. That task was made a little easier by the patient that just walked in. Hayden never saw her face, but he could tell she wasn't an existing patient. His eyes started at her feet and moved up the longest and sexiest pair of legs he had seen in quite a while. Fortunately she was facing away from him, leaning over the receptionists desk filling out the sign-in sheet. Hayden was free undress her with his eyes, which he did gladly. Her legs continued up and up until finally they disappeared into an extremely short, extremely tight skirt. Heyden tried to make out whether or not she was wearing panties. He decided that either she had on a thong or that their was nothing under that skirt except her sweet, hot pussy and tight ass. The thaught caused a stirring in his pants and he decided he should retreat back to the exam room. Just as he walked out of the waiting room, he heard his receptionist saying "Welcome back into town... the doctor should have no problem fitting you in before he calls it a day. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you." Hayden chuckled to himself. He knew his receptionist had been checking out the stranger as well; that was the benefit of a bisexual receptionist-- they could share dirty stories about girls.

 

[ChaosDAmore]

Alana stared at his prosthetic leg when he showed it to her then she looked up at him horrified. Oh God...........what had she done? This was all her fault and she knew it. "Joe.............I'm sorry. You're still the Joe I use to know. No matter what. You're still the same guy who dressed up in a gorilla outfit on Valentines Day because you knew I loved monkeys. " She smiled a little and remember that night clearly. He had earned the nickname Love Monkey that night and it stuck until the day she left.

She wasn't going to show him pity for his leg because she knew he hated that. " Alright, I'll go alone. Hayden and I have a lot to catch up on anyways. Want me to walk you back to your truck or are you going to stay out here longer?" She looked down at him.

 

[gagonthis]

Joe cringed at the expression on her face as she stared at his leg. He quickly rehid it under his pants. He looked away from her as she continued talking. His confusion continued to grow as she reminded him of all the good times they'd had together. She ran out on you he had to keep reminding himself, trying to let himself stay angry. He was still hurt, confused and unsure of himself, but he knew he didn't hate her anymore. It was easy to hate her while she was away, but he hurt the regret and sadness in her voice. It might take him some time, but he knew he would eventually forgive her. He sighed again.
"I... I think i'm going to stay out here for a little bit. Like I said, you gave me a lot to think about. I think I'll jsut stay and look at the stars. Says hi to your brother for me." He waited till she turned and headed to her car. "I love you Alana." he whispered, soft enough to be private, but perhaps just loud enough for her to hear as she walked away.

 

[ChaosDAmore]

She nodded some then stood up to leave the football field then she glanced back at him, " Joe? Did you say something?" She had heard exactly what he had said but she wanted to make sure she had heard him right. Alana looked at his prosthetic leg that he had rehidden from her view. " Joe, that doesn't change how much I still care for you. I'm just sorry you had to go through that alone." She sighed softly then walked off the football field and towards her car.

After a few minutes, she was out of the parking lot and all he could see was the red glow from her tail lights as she headed for her parents. She was only running about half an hour later as she pulled into the driveway of the house. Alana walked inside the house and looked around some, "Hayden?"

 

[gagonthis]

Joe sighed as she walked away. He didn't dare repeat what he had said. He needed to keep his walls up because he could already sense how close she was to break them done. He stared at her as she walked away his emotions waging a battle that left his stomach as a victim. He felt as if he'd puke. He meant what he had said. He did still love her. But he couldn't let her hurt him again. He shook his head as she drove away to meet her brother. He sat down on the grass again, staring into the sky, remembering that first kiss. A small smile came to his face as he breathed in the smell of the grass.

 

[DMB1981]

Hayden

Hayden glanced at the clock on the wall. "Shit!!" He was supposed to meet Alana at 5. Here it was 5:30 and his receptionist had just made another appointment. In her defense, he hadn't told her that he had to leave early. He quickly dialed Alana, hoping she wouldn't be too mad that he had screwed up their meeting. Thoughts of the incredible pair of legs in the short skirt standing in the lobby were still hammering at his brain.