secrets within

chapter 3

Today is the day of the talent show, and I'm a little nervous. I'm currently and the back of the auditorium. I changed my song at the last minute after realizing that my dad was coming, and now I don't know if I can actually sing. 

The song I picked I wrote about my dad, but I changed the lyrics to sound like someone broke my heart, but I know my dad will realize It's about him, so right now, I'm trying to calm down and act normal. Thank god I go on last it also helps that Jeremiah is here with me. He's been there these past three weeks, and I can honestly say he has become my best friend. I tell him everything, so he knows why I'm so nervous, and it didn't help that barbie was walking towards me she is next to go and then me.

 As she walks towards me, I try to keep a straight face, but It's tough.

" Gray, I hoped you're prepared to lose." 

I knew she was taunting me, trying to get and my head, but I wasn't even paying her any attention. All I could think about is my father and how, for the first time and 10 years, I get to sing a song to him about all my pain and how he hurt me. She finally left after realizing I wasn't giving her any attention, and Jeremiah grabbed my hand. 

"You will be okay, Lexi' he told me. 

He made me look him and the eye, and he kept whispering words of encouragement to me. And after a while, I managed to calm down. I know you're probably wondering how we got to be this close, but the truth is I'm wondering the same thing. One day while we were training, we started talking, and I realized that I misread him. Yes, he is very cocky, but he's also a good listener, and he understood what I was going through, so we just clicked. After he realized I calmed down, he hugged me and told me to relax. 

It was barbie's turn, and as she was singing, I understood why she always won. She really was a phenomenal singer. As she finished up, I looked and the mirror and prepared the go on stage. When the judge called my name, I walked out. I started with the guitar and just hummed along until I got the melody, and then I started to sing. 

    'You never know how hard life can be, you never know who really loves you until there gone, cause when they're gone you realize all your mistakes, and you try to get rid of the pain, you try to figure out how to love, but you don't understand what it means. Oh, what's love but a way to bring me pain, oh what's love but a chance to get hurt again? Why do I open up to fall apart? Oh, baby, I want to know why do I hope, why do I trust,  just to get hurt in the end  I want to know what's love but away to bring me pain, why do I love to keep getting hurt again, why does my heart keep trying to let you in. why does my head keep telling me you'll bring me pain.  Oh, baby, why did you hurt me? Why did you leave me after you showed me how to love. Why did you leave me broken and despair? Now I'm wondering, baby, what's love but a way to bring me pain.  How do I love without getting hurt and the end? Oh, baby, I'm wondering why did promise me that you would always be there for me; why did you lie? Oh, baby, how come you couldn't leave me alone.  Oh, now I'm just wondering, does love, Oh does love always hurt. "                                                                     As I was singing, I was watching my dad. I could tell he knew the song was about him. I tried to figure out his reaction, but he had a good poker face. When the song was over, I walked off stage. I needed to be alone, so I walked to the bathroom and cried. After I washed my face and was about to walk back to the auditorium, I saw Jeremiah. He looked at me, and I ran and hugged him. He didn't say anything. He just held me, and we stayed that way for about 5 minutes until I calmed down and walked back to the auditorium.

 As we were walking in, they were calling the names of the winners. They were currently calling the third-place winner. Some boy won a 200 dollars gift card. When they got to second place, they paused and called me and barbie on stage. At this point, I was just ready to hear who won. I didn't even listen to what the judge was saying. That was until I heard that I won  5,000 dollars. I came in first. I didn't know why but I wasn't even really excited. I took my prize money, took a picture then walked towards my parents. 

My dad just watched me. I knew that he had something to say but right now wasn't the right time or place. After I hugged my mother, we all left to get some food; all while eating, my dad and I kept watching each other. When we finally got home, he called me into his office. I guess it's time we talked. As soon as I walked in and sat down, he apologized.

" I'm sorry, Lexi, that I hurt you so bad when I left; I thought I was protecting you; I wanted you to have a normal childhood . I never knew that I hurt you this badly". 

I didn't know what to say to him, so I just cried, and he ran and hugged me. He held me for what felt like hours. It felt good to be in his arms. It felt like no one could hurt me, kind of like Jeremiah. We didn't really talk, but I still forgave him. I always have been a daddy's girl, and his apologizing was all that it took for me to forgive him. After I left his office, I went for a walk in the garden. I loved coming here. As I walked, I heard footsteps behind me. I knew who it was. He always showed up when I needed him. I stopped walking and turned to look at him. We stared at each other for a good minute before he pulled me into a hug.

" Are you okay, Lexi?" he asked.

" yes,  my dad and I finally talked, and I can finally say that I forgive him, plus I don't have to become barbie's minion, so hey, it all worked out."

 He looked at me and just laughed. Of course, he found that funny after all, and he was the one who told me I would become her puppet. When he finally stopped laughing, I glared at him. 

"Was it really that funny, Jem." 

"yes, Lexi, it was," he told me. 

"so, what are you going to do about Melissa now." 

Nothing, I told him, "I'm not like her, I don't particularly appreciate controlling people, I'll make sure she leaves me and everyone else alone."

"you're too nice, Lexi, "he told me. 

Then he told me everything that he would make her do, and I just laughed; he was too mean. As I laughed, I didn't realize how close he got until he touched my face. I stared him right in the eye, then I moved down and looked at his lips. I wished he would kiss me already. As if hearing my thoughts, he kissed me. His lips felt soft against mine. When I kissed him back, he kissed me as if he was afraid I would disappear; as we deepened the kiss, we suddenly heard someone clapping and yell finally.

 I pulled away to see Emily, the twins, and Amara. Jeremiah just glanced at them, kissed me again, and left. "jerk," I yelled after him.

 He laughed, leaving me with the girls such a traitor. As I looked at the girls, they all started to surround me, so Lexi, what's going on. I just stared at all of them as they kept asking me questions. I'm going to kill Jeremiah. After the girls finished questioning me, I went inside. As I headed towards my room, I felt someone pull me into my study room. Before I could say anything, his lips were already on me. I heard the door close, and he pushed me against the wall. We finally pulled apart to catch our breath. As I stared at him, I could see he was looking at my lips. I knew they were probably swollen. When I finally caught my breath, I was going to yell at him, but he interrupted me. Alexis will go out with me. I stared at him before I finally said yes, and he kissed me. 

"I'll see you tomorrow at 6, Lexi."

 I nodded my head and watched as he left. Damn, all I could think about was that kiss and what the hell I was going to wear.