Is this a good idea?

[mj_in_wonderlandXO]

Well, I'm trying to write this story called "Where you want to be" and it's supposed to be a Taking Back Sunday love story with 11 parts (kinda like chapters) all a line from a song on TBS's album and I plan on doing a sequal to it called "Louder Now" with the same concept.

Is it a good idea?
Anyone care to read what I have so far?

[nooneshome]

I wanna Read it. It sounds Interseting!

[mj_in_wonderlandXO]

ok cool =]
I'll jsut send you the intro, cos' it's kinda long so far lol

Introduction
Next Exit 152 miles


My sister had just died. I was driving all the way to California in tears. My sister, Jen, was so young, only in her twenties. And up and just like that she died. It was a total accident but why Jen? Why did it have to be my sister?
Jen was always my older sister. She was the one with all the privileges. And she was the one who got all the boys. My mother knew this, and put a stop to it quickly. I remember being a little girl sitting in the kitchen while Jen and my mother yelled at each other.
“I’m not a baby anymore mom!”
“Yes, but as long as you’re living under my roof, you will never see him again!”
Then usually Jen would scoff and walk off with her teenager attitude. I’m glad I never went through that with my mom. But after all, I was only 19.
The worst part about Jen dying was that she left behind her 4 and a half year old son, and my nephew, Noah. Noah Thomas Goodrich, blonde hair, blue eyes, and the sweetest little thing in the world. That now, I was responsible for.
Not like my deceased mother was going to care for Noah, or dear old dad that was in jail. And I sure as hell wasn’t letting the state take Noah into foster care. Noah was my nephew, and it was my job to take care of him.
I was only 19 years old, but I was determined and stubborn enough to never let anything happen to my nephew as long as I lived. I knew it was going to be hard raising a child on my own, but I knew I could do it…I hope.
I looked up from the steering wheel to the millions upon thousands of cars ahead of me. I placed my sunglasses over my eyes to hide my tears as my car stereo blasted my music out the windows.
I always listened to music, ever since I was little. I was more into mainstream now, though. But music was my life. I worked in a music store during the seasons, except for summer, that was when I worked as a staff member for the Vans Warped Tour. I loved being there, I loved the people I met, and I loved traveling. Summer was drawing nearer and nearer. What was I going to do about Noah?
Sure, I had enough money to pay for both me and Noah and to keep my apartment and food on the table. But I loved traveling and I was still young. Warped tour was my life, would Kevin Lyman, the owner, let me take Noah with us? I sure hoped so because Noah was the only family I had left now.
Next Exit 152 miles.
I sighed and ran my hand through my long dark hair. I wiped my eyes and slumped down in my seat. It’s not like the traffic was moving any faster, and it’s not like I only had a short way to go either.
Finally the traffic started moving and I was driving along the interstate both anxious and nervous. I finally realized I had no idea how to raise a 4 almost 5 year old boy.
Did he even understand what was going on or that he was never going to see his mom again?
I cried some more until I got my cell phone started ringing.
“Cora, where are you,” came a voice from the other line, “…Hey, you okay?”
I sniffed, “Y-yeah David, I’m on my way to California.”
“You sure as hell don’t sound okay, and why are you going to California?” David asked.
David Meyers was my best friend in the entire world, since preschool. We were as close as close can get. When my mother died, he was there inviting me into his home with open arms. His family was my family and I loved them all. David also worked on the tour with me and we always spent time together, mostly because we lived about a block or two from each other. He knew when I was lying, he knew when I was sad, but he didn’t know why I was sad.
“My sister died.” I murmured, “I-I have to go to California for a few days, f-for her funeral.”
“Aw, sweetie,” David said in a quiet sorrowful tone, “I am so sorry. You be careful when driving ok?”
I hiccupped on my words and let out a whispering answer, “Yeah, thanks David, I-I’ll be home in a few days.” And I hung up.
This was going to be a long miserable ride there and back.

[nooneshome]

Rally Cooll!

[mj_in_wonderlandXO]

Rally Cooll!

thank you I'm on part 2 now =]

[little_white_lie]

Wow thats really good, and Yes. This is a great idea.

[mj_in_wonderlandXO]

Wow thats really good, and Yes. This is a great idea.

thank you =]

[mj_in_wonderlandXO]

Part I
I’m Sorry It Took Me So Long


I arrived at my hotel in Sacramento after a long car drive. So far all I knew about my experience was that it was hotter than hell outside and my hotel room wasn’t air conditioned. This was going to be hell for the next couple days.
It was Thursday and Jen’s funeral was Saturday and exactly that Saturday evening I was going back home to Washington State with Noah with me.
I pulled out my cell phone and called Child Services who were taking care of Noah until I went and got him the next day. The man, Mr. Thompson, picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hi, this is Cora Goodrich calling, Noah’s aunt.” I said to him in as calm as a voice as possible, “I’m here in Sacramento right now. I’ll be coming tomorrow to pick Noah up.”
“Ok, thank you Ms. Goodrich.” The man replied in his conservative voice.
“So…”I said, in best attempt to make conversation, “How is he holding up?”
Mr. Thompson sighed, “He’s just been moping around all day, playing with his racecars or usually watching TV.”
My eyes glossed over, “Has he…said anything?”
“Not much,” he replied, “He doesn’t argue, or say much. He often just nods or shakes his head.”
I couldn’t take the heart ache any longer I said my goodbyes and collapsed on the bed. This was hell, I was sure of it.
I unpacked my clothes that I had. The black dress I was wearing Saturday and 2 pairs of jeans and 2 black band shirts. One was Norma Jean and the other was Underoath.
Without even thinking much of it, I became so tired that the minute I laid my head down on the hotel pillow, I fell fast asleep to an early Friday morning.
I fluttered my eyes open to the sun beaming into my room straight to my face. I rose from the sweaty bed all hot and wiped the perspiration off my forehead. I got out of bed, stripping away of my clothes, now soaked, from the previous night and stepped into the shower.
When I got out it was 10 of 10 and I had enough time to spare. I was picking up Noah at the Child Services Office at 11, so I got dressed, pulled back my hair and walked out into the sunny California air.
It was muggy and gross out and I felt relieved when I started driving down the highway with the windows down. Cool air rushing to my face. I turned my head up shortly after 2 minutes and found a sign saying ‘Starbucks next right’.
Mmm, Starbucks.
My senses could use a little waker-upper. So I took the right and pulled into the Starbucks parking lot, locking the door and walking inside. It was ****ing packed in there. Coffee shops tended to be quite busy in the morning to no surprise, but back home no one needed coffee with all the drugs that were dealt there. Cocaine was the coffee of Washington.
I sighed and impatiently waited in line, tapping my foot and staring at the clock every four seconds. I groaned and sighed when finally it was my turn.
“What would you like?” the cashier girl asked, wearing her funny green uniform.
“Uh…” I pondered, pulling my money from my pocket, “Gimme a peppermint mocha latte, please and thank you.”
The girl nodded and shouted to the other girl working what I wanted and then turned back to me, telling me the amount. I handed her a 5 and went over to a table with my coffee, grabbing a newspaper on the way over.
A few gang murders, something about Paris Hilton, and a bunch of fights. I guess this was normal for Californians. I sipped my coffee, burning my tongue a little, but shrugging it off. While setting the newspaper down I felt my cell phone vibrating from my pocket so I took it out and looked at the caller ID. It was Kevin Lyman.
Hmmm, Odd, I thought, why the sudden call?
“…Hello?” I said unsurely, balancing my flip flop at the end of my toe.
“Hey Cora, are you going to be on tour this year?” Kevin asked in a rather panicky voice.
“I’m not so sure, Kevin, I got my nephew to take care of full time now.” I said apathetically while shrugging as if he were standing right in front of me. I heard him swear in the background. I raised an eyebrow, “Why do you ask? Warped isn’t for another 2 weeks or so.”
“Well, Jaime and Connor just cancelled because of family problems and a bunch of staff members aren’t coming this year to help sell the merch or cater the food or anything. We only have about 5 members this year, Cora; we really need your help.”
I nervously looked around Starbucks while biting my lower lip afraid to make the wrong decision, “Kevin, my nephew…”
“Bring him along, I don’t care. As long as you’re here, able to help, he can come and stay in my bus and watch cartoons all day, but you have to be here, Cora.” Kevin begged trying to compromise me.
I stayed silent for a moment in my own thoughts. It was a good deal, and I did have a tour bus already rented, that Noah and I could share while on tour, and maybe even Noah would enjoy having some fun and getting his mind off his mom for a while. He was just a little kid though, not a lot to do…
“Ok.” I said before I had even made up my mind, “I’ll be there.”
Kevin let out a sigh of relief, “Thank God.”
“You can just call me Cora.” I said smugly, being the first time I’d smiled since I found out about Jen.
Kevin chuckled, “It’s always good to have you and that sarcasm on tour with us. Thank you so much Cora. First show is in Chicago.”
With that I replied, “I’ll be there.” And hung up.
I leaned back into my chair, my coffee not even half way gone. I was both nervous and excited. Mostly excited about seeing all my old friends from warped, I always made life long friends there. And nervous because I didn’t know how Noah would take it, being pulled around everywhere just two weeks after Jen’s death. I started thinking long and hard about it when I checked the clock to see that it was quarter AFTER 11.
I gasped and grabbed my coffee and my phone, quickly hurrying to the car and driving as fast as possible to the Office.
When I got there it was 11:30 and I ran into the tall building to the waiting room where I saw my little Noah patiently waiting in a seat with his hands in his lap, and his head down. He was wearing his blue jeans and his blue baseball shirt and the hat I got him last Christmas. I sighed in relief, knowing that he hadn’t run off while I wasn’t there, and I walked over to him, kneeling by his side.
“Hey bud.” I said in a quiet tone.
He turned towards me, his eyes full off confusion but he had yet to ask what was going on. He smiled a little, “Hi, Aunt Cora.”
I grinned a little as he stood up from his chair, holding his backpack. I wrapped my arms around him, “I’m sorry it took me so long.”
“It’s okay, Aunt Cora. Can we leave now?” he asked as I released him.
He seemed fine by the looks of him, but after all I don’t think he understood much of what was going on. I shrugged and nodded, “Yes, we can.” He held onto my hand as we walked out of the office together while I pulled his suitcase. We got into my car and he immediately pulled his seatbelt on. Maybe he did understand how his mom died, but just not why.
I put it into drive, giving him sad glances every now and then. He just swayed his feet and looked down at them.
I had just realized how much he looked like Jen. He has big blue eyes and curly blonde hair. He was practically a spitting image of Jen.
When we got back to the hotel he just sat there on the second bed watching cartoons silently, swaying his feet again. I watched him while I sat on the counter and called David.
“Hey sweetie, how are you holding up?” he asked sadly.
“I’m fine, and Noah seems to be doing ok, too.” I replied, swinging my feet off the counter.
“Noah?” he asked, “Like Jen’s kid? You’re with him? Oh my gosh, are you sure he’s ok?”
“He seems ok, David, he’s just watching cartoons.” I looked over at him, now scribbling in a Sponge bob coloring book. “I don’t think he understands what’s happening, you know?”
“Yeah…but you got to feel sorry for the kid. By the way, did you get a call from Kevin today?” David asked out of the blue.
I chewed on the ends of my hair, “Actually yeah, are you working this summer?”
“Yep. Are you even though you have Noah? I know a lot of people will be disappointed if you’re not there, Cor.” David said referring to all my friends and the bands on warped that I had become so close with and I had to have seen since last year.
“I know, I know.” I replied, “But I am working, you and I already rented the tour bus remember? So now, there’s really no turning back. I just hope Noah takes it well.”
“I bet he’ll have a great time.”

[mj_in_wonderlandXO]

The next day was the funeral. Noah looked slightly more depressed than the day before. It broke my heart and I tried so hard not to cry.
Little independent Noah got all dressed up in his tux while I got dressed into my black dress and black flats. I kept glancing back to Noah who was trying his best to tie his tie while I applied my make up. I couldn’t help but giggle at his facial expression while he struggled. I turned and smirked at him while he fiddled with the cloth.
“Need a little help there, Scout?” I asked.
“No,” he said, “I can do it.”
I nodded and waited a minute or so. He still wasn’t getting it. He looked at me in defeat. “Aunt Cora?” he said with big blue eyes shining with innocence.
I smiled and kneeled beside him and fixed his tie for him. He thanked me and we went into the car and drove to the cemetery.
The funeral was even more depressing because it rained. Noah stood beside me silent and still under my umbrella while we listened to the preacher pray on. Wind blew past my cheek as a silent tear fell down my face. I gripped onto Noah’s shoulder when the funeral finally ended. While people were walking away I wiped my face, “N-Noah, you have everything packed right?”
He nodded without looking up at me. He kept those big sad blue eyes on his mother’s casket being carried down 6 feet under. After a minute or so Noah left my side and walked to the side of the hole his mother was to be buried in. He dropped the red rose that was in his hand, into the hole so it landed perfectly on Jen’s casket. And without shedding a single tear or showing even a hint of emotion Noah said, “I love you, mommy.” And he simply walked back to where I stood speechless.
“Aunt Cora, can we leave now?” he asked me.
I reached up and quickly wiped away the tears that had fallen and sniffed, “Y-Yes, Noah. Let’s go home.” I put my hand on Noah’s back and led him back to the car with all our stuff packed and stuffed in the trunk of the car.
“I’m tired.” Noah said, “Aunt Cora when will we be at your house?”
I tried to keep all the tears in while Noah climbed into the back seat. “Go to sleep, Scout, we’ll be there hopefully soon.”
“Okay.” He said as a last remark and lay down on the seat, closing his eyes.
I put the car in drive and cried the entire way back to Washington.