DOWNBOUND TRAIN (Chapter 59)

After she got off the phone with Jessie, Sophia decided to call Kate.

"What do you mean, you and Dave still haven't done it?"

"We still haven't done it. It's driving me nuts. We can never get alone."

"It's too bad Labor Day weekend didn't work out, that was perfect."

"Yeah, it would have been, if poor Dave hadn't been deathly ill. But, now, we're never alone. We don't even mess around much anymore, because someone's always here. Usually Dad. I think he suspects something, and is doing everything he can to head it off at the pass."

"What about my room?"

"Dad declared that off-limits."

"And he won't let you shut the door to your room if Dave is there."

"You got it."

"Kate, if you can hold out until Christmas, we'll work out something. I promise."

"That would be nice. I want him so bad I can taste it."

"How's he handling this?"

"Much better than I am, believe it or not. "

"Really. That's different," Sophia giggled. "How's your relationship holding up under the strain?"

"Perfect, actually. Is yours fixed yet?"

"Don't go there, Kate, OK? I just heard about it from Jessie."

"All right. You know how I feel."

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Sophia read for a while, then went down to get supper. After supper, she went back to her room, but she was bored, and upset after the phone call from Jess. Elise had gone home for the weekend, so she was alone. She decided to find a party.

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Elise got back to her room about 2pm on Sunday. She walked in, and found Sophia still asleep. Completely naked.

She went over to shake her. "Soph? Sophie? It's two o'clock in the afternoon."

Sophie stirred. "Urp. Ohhhhhhhhh. Elise?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you OK?"

"I'm not sure."

"What happened?"

"Jack Daniels. Lots of it. Oh God I feel horrible."

"I'll bet. "

"Went to a party last night, intent on drowning my sorrows. Uggh. I think I drank enough to drown twenty peoples' sorrows."

"Uh-huh. Do you know why you don't have a stitch of clothing on?"

Sophia looked down. "Oh shit," She blushed bright red.

Elise laughed. "Don't worry. I won't attack you."

"Thanks," Sophia said dryly. She reached between her legs. "Oh shit. I do believe I got laid last night."

"Who?"

"I have no idea. I don't remember much from last night."

"Jesus Christ, Sophia!"

"Hey, the way my life is, the less I remember, the better off I am. Wonder if I enjoyed myself."

"Sophia, you are a complete mess, you know that?"

"Yup. Get me some clothes, willya? And stop ogling."

"Can't help but ogle, kid. It's a damn shame you're straight."

Sophia giggled. "Sorry." Elise handed her some clothes. "Thanks."

"Sophia, what are you going to do?'

"What?"

"About Warren."

Sophia glared at Elise. "What I'm going to do is murder the next person that asks me what I'm going to do about Warren, OK?"

"Sorry."

"One of the reasons I went out and got shitfaced last night is the tongue-lashing I got over the phone from Jessie."

"What, about Warren?"

"Yeah. She talked to him over the phone, he's visiting Crash. She's trying to get us back together."

"She's a smart girl."

"Ah, who needs Warren when I can go get sloppy drunk and have sex that I don't even remember?"

Elise just shook her head.

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Sophia sleepwalked through her classes the next few days. Suddenly, on Wednesday, she was seized with an impulse. She wanted to skate. What the hell, they had ice time on Wednesdays, right? Nobody was using it, or so she thought. She dug her skates out from the bottom of her closet, found one of her practice outfits, and headed to the rink.

She went through the lobby, and headed to the doors leading to the rink itself, when she heard voices.

She peered in. She saw Papa Bear, and a girl that she didn't know, sitting in the stands. On the ice, she saw Warren. She leaned against the door, staying out of sight. Where she was, she could hear what they were saying.

"Here we are, another chapter of Waiting For Sophia." Papa Bear quipped.

"Ah, come on. From what Jessie told me, she's never going to come," Warren pointed out.

"Yeah, cause she's scared. When are you going to take Jessie's advice, and go to her?" Alexa asked him.

"I'm still mulling that one over."

"So, what would you do if she came through that door?" Papa Bear asked him.

"I think about that all the time. I'd probably pull her on the ice, have Alexa cue up 'You'll Be In My Heart', and have her put it on repeat. And skate to it until we both collapsed. Preferably on top of one another." Warren sighed. "It just ain't gonna happen. I heard it through the grapevine that she got extremely shitfaced last Saturday night. It's like, here we go again--you both know of her past. I don't know if I have the energy for this again. If she came to me, it would help, because at least I'd know she wants this."

"Jessie told you she wants it, from what you told me," Papa Bear pointed out.

"I know. I just don't know what to do. I just wish she'd walk through that door."

Sophia heard all this, plain as day. She almost walked through the door, into the rink, ten times. She didn't. Once they stopped talking, and she heard the music from the Sinatra program that they were supposed to skate this year, she turned and ran from the rink.

When she got back to her room, she was crying. Elise was there.

"What happened? I thought you were going to skate."

"Warren was there."

"So? I'm sure he would have liked to have a partner back."

"He would have. He dreams about me walking through the door. He said so, I heard him."

"SOPHIE! God DAMN! Why didn't you?"

"I don't know. I couldn't. Why couldn't I? Jesus, why couldn't I?"

"Sophia, sit down. You are shaking!"

"I'm so scared. I'm scared to get up in the morning. I'm scared to go to bed at night. I'm scared of him. I'm scared of myself. And I don't know why."