18. CHARITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18. Charity

 

     IT’S BEEN A WEEK NOW. TODAY IS THE DAY I’VE BEEN WAITING for; finally, Miley will arrive at a few minutes. I made sure that Shane is with me, so I can quickly accomplish my plan, though I still brought Adam of course. I waited impatiently as I tap my fingers on the vacant seat.

     “Alyson, relax… she’ll be here…” Adam said.

     “Well, I just can’t wait… it’s been a long time since I saw her…” I muttered. Though, that’s only one of the reasons why.

     “Alyson!” I heard Miley shouted.

     “Miley! I quickly stood up and hugged her tightly.

     “I missed you so much!”

     “Me too! And of course, you must remember Adam, and I’d like you to meet Shane…”

     “Oh hey guys…”

     “Hi…” Adam said.

     “Hello…” Shane mumbled.

     “So tell me more on what you had been doing…” I said.

     “Okay, okay…” she mumbled.

     “Hey, I hate to break the moment, but maybe you two should talk in the car… or our hands would hurt again…” Shane muttered looking at the girls approaching us.

     “Oh sorry…” I said as I dragged her to the car. Adam and

 

 

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Shane decided to sit in front. “So, do you have a boyfriend now?

      “Well… to tell you the truth, yes… remember Jerry? The one I’m crushing on for a long time? He finally asked me out!”

     “Really? Congrats!”

     “Yah! I can’t believe it too!”

     “Ah…” I muttered. I tried to be as supportive as possible. How come my plan failed? She didn’t tell me about this even once, neither a hint nor something. “So, since when have you been dating?”

     “Graduation…”

     “But, doesn’t that mean you two will be separated? Since you’ll be in college now…”

     “That’s why we’re both going to the University of Washington together…”

     “Ah… good for you…”

     “So how about you, Harvard or Dartmouth?”

     “Harvard…”

     “Okay… still going for Journalism or Business Management?”

     “Maybe… though I think I might still change my mind… you?”

     “Still going for culinary… remember, it’s my passion to cook…”

     “Of course… it’s been in your blood… I remember your mom… she’s an amazing chef…”

     “Yah… don’t worry, after I become a chef, I’ll have my own restaurant, then you’ll have a discount…”

     “Thanks… I’ll count on that…”

     “Of course…”

     “Where do you live anyway?”

     “To my aunt’s… it’s just a few blocks from yours…”

     “Really?”

     “Yah… so that means we can get to hang out with each other every day!”

 

 

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     “That’s great!”

     “Oh yah, some of my cousins knew that I’ll be visiting here, and they’re such a big fan of the unknown… so could you give them an autograph?” she gave me a small notebook and pen.

     “Me?”

     “Yah… and Adam and Shane…”

     “You sure I’m included?”

     “Of course! They said they’re an avid fan… since you’ve become a member of them, you’re also as famous as them…”

     “Well… okay…” I took the notebook. “What are their names?”

     “Nina, Ella, Kim, Christie, Belle…”

     “Okay…” I wrote their names and signed an autograph. “Adam and Shane sign this…” I gave them the notebook.

     “Sure…” Adam said.

     “Just imitate my signature… I know you can do that… even if you pretend you can’t…” Shane muttered to Adam.

     “Okay…” he imitated his sign and gave the notebook back to me. ‘Here…”

     “Okay…” I stared at the ‘Shane signature’ and it really does look like Shane’s. “Hey, maybe you should imitate Nate’s too…”

     “Sure… Nate’s signature is the easiest…”

     I gave him the notebook and pen. “When did you know how to imitate a signature?”

     “Well… that’s one of my talents… here…” he handed me the notebook again.

     “Wow, you’re good…” I gave Miley the notebook. “Just don’t tell them that only two people really signed this…”

     “Sure…” she said.

     “Can you imitate mine?” I asked Adam.

     “Yah…”

     “Well, I guess I need to change my signature now…”

     “Don’t worry… I won’t use your signatures on your bank accounts…”

 

 

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     “I’m not worried on that…”

     “Then why do you want to change?”

     “I’ll try to make a signature that is harder…”

     “Um, I’m here already,” Miley said.

     Shane suddenly stopped the car. Good thing we’re on seatbelts.

     “Maybe I’ll go to your house later…”

     “Okay, bye…” I hugged her and she hugged me back.

     She went out and waved goodbye as we drive away.

     “Oh yah, you don’t need to change your signature, since I can imitate all… and I mean all signatures… I told you, it’s my talent…” Adam said.

     “Okay…” I said.

     “So where are we going now?” Shane asked.

     “Where do you want?”

     “Um, I need to go now… maybe I’ll meet you two later…” Adam said.

     “Where are you going?”

     “Charity… I promised those abandoned children I’ll spend a day with them…”

     “Can we come?”

     “No need…”

     “Okay… if you say so…”

     “Bye… see you later…” he got out of the car.

     I decided to sit at the passenger’s seat. “You have different charities?” I asked. I only know one charity of the unknown where I joined in as well.

     “Yah… except for the unknown charity, where we help those unfortunate sick people, Adam help on those orphans, me on those suffering from diabetes while Nate on those old abandoned people… when we were younger, we helped the abandoned puppies… I remembered we even had a song to save the puppies, though I don’t remember the lyrics anymore…”

 

 

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     “Wow… you’re really helpful…”

     “Yah… it’s been a part of our childhood… to help charities, and we’ve promise ourselves to always do charity works even if we’re already old and have grandchildren… we inherited that habit from our ancestors…”

     “Ah…”

     “What are you planning?”

     “Nothing…”

     “Your nothing means something… I can see it in your eyes…”

     “What do you mean?”

     “I already know what you’ll do…”

     “What?”

     “You’ll fetch Adam from the charity…”

     “Really… that’s a great idea…”

     “Wait… you didn’t think of that?”

     “Nope… you just gave me that…”

     “Oh… then forget everything I said… I was just kidding… you know me, I’m just fooling around…”

     “That’s okay…”

     “No, forget about it… he’s going to kill me if he knew…”

     “Don’t worry… I’ll protect you…”

     “You can’t protect me if you’re not around…”

     “What time does he finish?”

     “I can’t tell you…”

     “Please…” I pout.

     “Oh, don’t give me that puppy dog eyes…”

     “Pretty please…”

     “No…”

     “Please…” I played with his collar.

     “Oh…”

     “Please, please, please…”

     He looked at me again. “Four pm…”

     “Thanks! Could you drive me later?”

     “Oh alright… I’ll die anyway…”

 

 

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     “Thanks… you’re the best…” I pinched his cheeks.

     “Ouch… that hurts you know…”

     “So, what are we going to do for the next six hours?”

     “Oh yah, we’ll be having a tour at about next month… and you’re with us, you remembered that you already joined the unknown…”

     “Sure… I was reminded by that a few minutes ago…” I muttered. I almost forgot that, actually before I just said that I’m only going to be their songwriter, but now I’m their girl lead singer. Well, at least the crowd loves me, even when I did a lot of duets with Adam and some girl versions of their songs and some response as well. “Where’s the next tour anyway?”

     “Phoenix…”

     “Oh, okay…” so when will the next album come out?”

     “Maybe at about late October or early November….”

     “Okay…”

     “Where are we going anyway?”

     “I don’t know… you’re the one who’s driving…”

     “Well, we’re almost touring ourselves in the city.”

     “Hey, want to try painting?”

     “Sure, where?”

     “How about at our garden?”

     “Sure…” he took a u-turn.

 

     We reached our house by twelve. I went straight to the garage and took all the gallons of paint we need, I just took a gallon of yellow and green paints.

     “Okay, the paintbrushes are broken so we need to use our hands…”

     “Sure…”

     “Wait, something just came up to me…”

     “What’s that?”

     “Hey, remember the empty room next to the garage?”

     “Yah…”

 

 

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     “Dad said that I can have that since he doesn’t have anything in mind to do with it… how about you help me paint the walls with our own masterpieces, the same time, we’re having fun…”

     “Sure… that’s sounds great…”

     We went to the room; I forgot that it’s all white. It’s too clean.

     “Wait, I’ll just get my painting suit…” I mumbled.

     “You have a painting suit?”

     “Yah… I don’t want to have a stain on my shirt…”

     “Okay… I’ll just wait here…”

     “Sure… I’ll be back in a minute…” I ran to my room and took the white and lavender jacket and jogging pants. I decided to wear my white hat and white sneakers— which I bought a few days ago since I don’t really have a pair of sneakers— to match. I put my hair on a ponytail so it won’t be a bother to me later on.

     “Wow, you’re fast…”

     “Of course… um wait, your shirt might be mess up…”

     “That’s okay…”

     “Wait…” I ran to the living room where my dad is watching TV. “Hey um, remember the shirt you have that doesn’t fit you anymore?”

     “The white one?”

     “Yah…”

     “Why?”

     “Well, I and Shane are painting the walls on the white room and I think he should wear a cover up, so it won’t stain his shirt…”

     “Okay…”

     “Thanks…” I ran to their room and look for the shirt, it was a little big for Shane but this will do. I ran back to the empty room where Shane was already sitting on the floor. “Sorry I kept you waiting… here, just put this on…” I threw the shirt to him.

 

 

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     “Yes ma’am…” he quickly put it on.

     “So where are we going to start?” I asked staring at the wall.

     “How about we just splat it? And make pictures… with our signatures…”

     “Sure…” then I looked around. “We only have two colors… c’mon, help me get the carnation pink, baby blue, purple and wild red..”

     “Okay…”

     We headed to the garage to get the paints.

     “Okay, now we’re ready, wait we need music, I’ll get my iPod and speaker… and my camera as well…” I ran back to my room and quickly took what I need. “Okay…” I turned it on.

     “Ready,”

     “Get set,”

     “Go!” we said at the same time. We started throwing paints to the walls; soon we started painting each other and putting hand prints and putting our names. Then after a while, we just found ourselves throwing paints at each other. I just hope I can take the paints from my camera.

     “This is really fun…” he said.

     “Yah… okay, we’re already out of purple… and I’m completely purple,” I said.

     “Smile…” he took my camera.

     “I’m the purple girl…” I posed.

     “We’re half way there…” he looked around.

     “Hey, that doesn’t look like me…” I look at his painting.

     “Yah… it’s cuter…”

     “Really? Well then, I’ll make mine cuter…” I said editing my painting of him.

     “Lets start painting on this part… this is the only one…”

     “Okay… maybe if there’s some left we can do the ceiling and floor as well…”

     “Sure…” we started throwing paints again.

     “Hey, try closing your eyes…”

 

 

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     “Okay…” we did try it then all of the sudden we were throwing paints at each other again. “Wait! I don’t want to eat paint!” he muttered.

     “Oh sorry… well, me too…”

     “That’s okay…”

 

     We finished painting the whole room—including the ceiling, which we just spat its way up, and the floor— by two pm. And we already made three videos, singing and rocking out while painting.

     “Yes, we’re finally done!” I said.

     “Yah…”

     I pinched his cheeks.

     “What’s that for? My face is already covered with paint…”

     “You miss a spot… I just covered it for you…”

     “Okay then…” he touched my nose. “There, yours is complete too…”

     “That’s fine… c’mon…” I took his hand. I forgot that the floor was really slippery since stupid of me; I poured all the left paint on the floor. I fell on my head and him on me. His lips touched mine quickly, but I think he didn’t notice it, so I just let it go. 

     “Ouch!”

     “Sorry…” he said his face now only inches from mine.

     “Um, you can help by going off me…”

     “Oh sorry…” he stood up quickly.

     “A little help here…”

     He pulled me up. “There…”

     “So what do you want to eat?”

     “Burgers…”

     “Okay, c’mon, lets wash up first…”

     “Obviously… hey be careful…”

     “Yes sir…” I gave him a salute.

     We washed our hands and faces then he took off his stained shirt and I put back my sundress and cowboy boots. After that,

 

 

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we grilled the burgers, it’s our only lunch and it’s already three pm. I decided to make my hair straight to waste my time, while Shane just read some of my books, though I’m not sure if he hasn’t read it yet. I finished earlier than I expected— since before I spend two hours straightening my hair— so we headed to Adam’s charity.

     “And here we are…” Shane said flickering to a large orphanage. “So are we going inside or just stay here?”

     “What do you think?”

     “Well, since he’s going to kill me anyway, lets just spend the most of it, want to see the orphans? They’re really adorable…”

     “Sure…”

     We went inside where Adam is singing a song the same time playing the guitar while the kids sing with him.

     “Hey kids…” Shane said.

     “Good afternoon Mr. Shane Cyrus…” the orphans greeted in synchronization

     “What brought you here?” Adam asked.

     “We want to help here, since we’re really bored anyway…”

     “Okay… hey kids, I’d like you to meet Alyson… Alyson Smith…” Adam gestured to me.

     “Good afternoon Ms. Alyson Smith…” they greeted in synchronization again.

     “Good afternoon to you too…” I said as I look to all of them.

     “Um, Alyson…” Adam said.

     “Here you go kids, freshly baked cookies, I and mother Demetria put love in it…” Stephanie said coming from the kitchen. “Oh, I see we have some guest…” she said only looking at me, smiling crookedly. “So, are you kids still having fun?” she sat beside Adam and put one arm around him.

     This is one of the reasons why Adam didn’t want me to come, I guess I can never beat her, she’s the original and I guess will always be the one who owns his heart and no one else.

     “Oh, I forgot the drinks, be right back…” she stood up and

 

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kissed Adam on the lips and went back to the kitchen.

     I can’t believe that flirt! But I guess they’ve been doing that for a long time anyway, so who am I to object? I’m just Alyson.

     “Um, I think I have to go now, I forgot I have my own charity works to do… see you next time, kids…” I smiled at them and walk out the door.

     I heard them say goodbye as Shane follow me, I heard Adam called my name, but I didn’t took a chance on looking back. Suddenly, someone took my hand before I could get into my car.

     “Alyson, I have no idea that she was going to do that…” Adam explained.

     “Yah… but I had…”

     “What?”

     “Is this the reason why you don’t want me to come?”

     “What? No, of course not… I just…”

     “Give me a good reason why you didn’t let me come…”

     “Because I don’t…” he didn’t continue.

     “Because you don’t want me to see you two…”

     “No…”

     “You already knew that she was going to come…”

     “Please forgive me…”

     “For what? For giving you a second chance? Then yes, you are forgiven…”

     “Please…”

     “Let go of me…”

     “Please…”

     “Tell me, you already knew she would come…”

     “Yes…”

     “That’s all I need to hear…” I shook off my hand.

     “Wait, let me explain…” he block my way.

     “You have a minute…”

     “Okay… I didn’t bring you here because I know she was coming… I don’t want to see you like that, the one I’m seeing

 

 

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right now, though I like the straight hair… but I really don’t have any idea that she’s going to do that… All day she’d been baking cakes and cookies for the orphans… she talks to me but not too much…” he took a deep breath.

     “Your minute is over…”

     “You still don’t believe me?” he walked in the middle of the street. Then it started to rain.

     “What are you doing?”

     “I’ll lie down here until you forgive me… I told you that I’m telling the truth… I won’t do this if I’m lying…”

     “Whatever…” then I heard a sound of a car coming straight ahead. “Adam, stand up! There’s a car driving straight toward you…”

     “Who cares?”

     “Stand up!”

     “You know what you have to say to save me… just say the magic word…”

     “Whatever… kill yourself…” I just stare at him.

     “Sure… that’s what I’m doing right now…”

     “Fine…”

     “Just enjoying the rain… a car driving toward me… isn’t it great?”

     I looked at the car again. My foot started to tap itself. “Okay, okay… just stand up…”

     “I didn’t hear the magic word…”

     “I believe and forgive you…”

     “And...”

     “And I’ll give you another chance… just stand up…”

     “Is that true, or you’re just saying that to save me?”

     “Just to save you of course…”

     “Sorry, but I don’t accept fake chances…”

     “Okay… that’s true…”

     “Promise?”

     “Promise…”

 

 

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     When the car was only feet away from him, he quickly stood

up and went in front of me like nothing happened. “That’s more like it…”

     “You scared me there…” I punched him on the shoulder.

     “So, you forgave me already…”

     “I was just kidding…”

     “Hey, you promised…”

     “I crossed my fingers…”

     “C’mon, we’re soaking wet in the rain…”

     “For-give-him… for-give-him…” I heard the orphans chanted.

     I looked at them and I saw the other nuns and Shane behind while Stephanie was out of sight.

     “You heard them… you don’t want to disappoint the orphans, do you?” he held my hands to his face.

     It took me a second to answer. “Well,”

     “Yes!”

     “I didn’t say yes yet…”

     “But I know that tone…”

     “Oh alright… you’re lucky the orphans are cute…”

     “Of course…”

     “But this is the last chance… promise me you’ll tell me the truth, whatever happens… and I don’t care if it hurts…”

     “Promise… but how can I tell you the truth if you won’t listen to me?”

     “Hey, I listened to you now…”

     “Sure…” he leaned to kiss me.

     I put my finger on the middle of his lips. “Not so fast… I just forgave you… and they are looking at us…”

     “Oh alright…” he said taking my hand.

     I looked back to the orphans but they were already gone.

     “So what are we going to do now? We can’t go inside, obviously…”

     “I don’t know…”

 

 

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     “Want to walk the way home?”

     “Sure… um, can you call Shane? I want to give him the keys of my car…”

     “Okay…” then he looked to the door. “Shane…”

     “Yes…” Shane said coming out.

     “Could you drive my car on the way home?” I asked.

     “Sure…”

     “Here…” I threw the keys to him.

     “Okay…” he went inside again.

     “So, what’s with the straight hair?” Adam asked me.

     “Well, I just like to remember what I looked like before...”

     “Are you really straight before? I thought you said you’re naturally curly…”

     “Yah… but before I want straight hair badly…”

     “Ah…”

     “C’mon… lets go home now…”

     “Sure…” I don’t know if I made the right choice, but I’m still hoping, since I know him for a year now. I just need to trust my luck on this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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