Journey by Jay T. (the gingerbread man read aloud .txt) 📖

/> “Hello?” My voice sounds tired, and I don’t know how to control the shakiness in my hands. Lia looks like she wants to help, but doesn’t know a way to.
“Mae! What happened to you? The other night when I called, someone picked up and said you were on the way to the hospital! I know you’re in Virginia now, and I’m coming with David.” Darren rushes through what he says and I don’t even get a word in when he hangs up.
I sigh and put the phone down. Chance and Lia are told to wait outside while the doctor checks up on me.
“What’s the next part of the transformation?” I ask the voice silently.
“Your physical appearance will start to change. Not dramatically, just little things. Your hair color will start to become a lighter shade, even when it is dyed, like you have. It will probably be a dirty blond shade in a few months, somewhat like your human mother. Your breasts will become slightly bigger, along with your bottom side. Your nose will become straighter. All of these will happened gradually, but it will not change what you look like over all. You will still look the same.”
“Darren and David are going to know, so is my family.”
“That is what we did.”
“What do you mean?”
“You could not choose one or the other of your lives, and our doing was to bring them together.”
“Is that okay?”
“Mae, you are very important to us, and since you went through the first part of the transformation process, we have to keep you happy.”
“I don’t know how to explain though.”
“We are going to have you not talking. One of us will use your voice and move your mouth so that we can explain. You might slip up if we let you explain.”
“Oh, I see. I still don’t understand.”
“You will. Just act as you normally would.”
“No, I want to explain myself.”
“Can we trust that you will not reveal anything?”
“Yes.”
My parents arrived right after the doctors told me that I was completely fine now, and they did not know how I even got into the coma. They were so relieved to see me awake. I could see it in their eyes. I sighed with great relief, and even smiled when Lia and Chance came back in. After about a half an hour after my parents came, I hear frantic voices outside the door.
Darren and David had come. They rushed in and my heart started to beat like a jackhammer when I saw Darren. I didn’t realize how much I missed him until I saw him. He paused a little in the doorway, and then he rushed in and stood next to me. It was like we were the only two in the room. He kissed me so passionately that I heard David cough.
I looked up and smiled at him.
“Hey there, kiddo. How are you doing?” He ruffled my head like he always did.
“Much better now.” I smiled at the both of them, but then I hear my dad grunt. Oh, God. I turn toward them and I see the surprised expression on all their faces, and the flustered look on Darren. I grab his hand, and I know that is the best time to explain to them. The only thing I can do now is to tell them the truth without the weird stuff.
“Mom, dad, Chance, Lia, this is Darren and David. The truth is I ran away to New York after I found out about Chance and Lia.” I say quietly. They look at me with despair in their eyes. I continue anyway. “I met Darren on my first night and we ended up seeing each other. He’s probably the best thing that has happened to me.” He smiles at me and I look at David. “David is like my fairy god father. He gave me a career, an education, and a family in New York. I was going to Europe, but somehow, I ended up back in Virginia, and I had no place to go but home, that’s where this all leaves us.”
The four of them stare at me in shock, and that’s when Kiera comes back with the wipes. She stops in her tracks when she sees me awake everyone else staring at me.
“Um, it’s great to see that you’re awake, Mae, but I think I’m interrupting something, so I’m just going to leave these here.” She places the wipe on the chair next to the door and walks out. I look around awkwardly, and just squeeze Darren’s hand harder. He smiles down at me and I give him my cute smile I always do when he’s around.
“Nice to meet you two.” My dad walks over and gives them firm handshakes and tells Darren that he had better not hurt me.
“I would never hurt her, sir.” I smile and look at my mom. She gives me a hurt smile, but she still greets them, followed by Chance and Lia, who look at Darren strangely.
“Alright, are you sure you’re better, sweetheart?” David asks. “I’m only asking because of the press conference next week. You don’t have to do it, yet.”
“Press conference? What are you talking about?” My dad asked. Right before David answered, I interrupted.
“I’m a model. I’m the new face of Sandra Cass.” Sandra Cass is the creator of a fashion, accessory, makeup, and jewelry line. She is one of the most successful designers in the world. While doing a shoot for Harrison Lancer, a small designer, Sandra visited Harry and she asked me to be her model.
“What?”
“Yeah, my spread will be in Sandra’s magazine, and she wanted to do a press conference to introduce me as the face of her lines.” I say, in a tone full of fact.
“When did you become a model?” Lia asks.
“On my second day in New York, David found me in the park, and he asked me.” I answered all their questions, and when my mother asked me where I was living, Darren answered.
“She’s living in with me and my parents at the moment. We’re looking for an apartment.” He saw my face full of relief, and squeezes my hand.
“I think after I get out of the hospital, I have to go back to New York.” I say. Everyone in the room but Darren and David objects, even Lia and Chance. After about two hours of debate, my parents finally agree to let me go, promising that I had to call both of them every few days. I made that promise to keep. I was so glad that I could take that off my shoulders and that day, I got released from the hospital, and went back home to grab a few clothes. We got a late flight to New York, and when we landed and got back to the hotel room, I couldn’t help but kiss Darren.
He kissed me so passionately; I felt it in my bones. I felt nothing but desire for him. I wanted him to take me, but then the passion turned to carefulness. He pulled away from me and looked at me with a worried expression.
“What is it?” I breathed.
He stroked my hair and said, “I heard that you were in a coma for three days.”
“So?”
“So, I think we should be careful. You need to rest.” He kisses my forehead and I sigh.
“I think that I’ve had enough rest.” I tell him. “I need a shower.” I get in the shower and I hear Darren walking around the room. He’s talking to someone on the phone. I wonder what happened when I was out. I was out for three days and I could check on him. I got out of the shower and looked at Darren with wonder in my eyes.
“Who were you talking to?”
“Mae, put some clothes on and dry off. My parents will be here in an hour.”
Oh, Goodness

I started to panic. “WHAT?! Oh, goodness. What am I doing standing here?” I start walking around and find clothes and trying to dry my hair. To sum it up, I looked like a maniac rushing. Darren tried to clean up while I got ready.
“Why are they coming?” Darren and I talk about his parents. They were rich folk who didn’t think that Darren’s dream was ‘practical’. Darren had two older siblings, Nick and Annie, who were both in the medical field with their mother, and Darren’s father was a big shot lawyer.
“They heard from one of my friends that I was dating and living with you. They don’t know what you do, and they want to see if you’re suitable to my needs. By that, they mean, if you are perfect enough to be their future daughter-in-law.” He sighs.
Worrying, I ask him, “What do I wear? How do I act? What do I do?”
“Wear what you would normally wear. Act the way you normally act. Do what you normally do. You’re perfect the way you are. The thing I’m more worried about is that they are probably going to make us go live at their house. They don’t think a hotel is suited for me.” He picks up the trash he left lying around. Once I finish drying my hair, I change into a loose blouse that looked appropriate and some skinny jeans that went really well with it. I also changed into some flats. I turned to see if Darren would approve.
“Now you’re just too good for me.” He said. I laughed and helped him clean up.
“Jeez, what did you do while I was gone? Have a wild party?” I joked.
“Yeah, it was a “Mae, I miss you party.”
“Ha ha, very funny, Darren. You probably had a blast for that one week.”
“No really. I seriously missed you like crazy. When I called and that person picked up, I knew I had to come and see you right away, and I couldn’t let you be by yourself.”
“You’re so sweet. I don’t know what I would do if I had to stay with them a minute longer.”
“Your parents are nice, though.”
“Not them, I mean Chance and Lia.”
“Oh, you mean Abercrombie and girl.”
“What?” I laughed, and threw his sock at him.
“Yeah, that guy looked like her hated my guts, and the girl looked like she wanted to be you.” We finished cleaning and we sat on the couch facing the window. Darren put his arm around me and I rested my head on his shoulder. It was about seven and the city was still bustling.
“That was the best friend and the cheater.” I sigh.
“Oh, those are the kids who let us meet! I should really call them to thank them.” I laugh and hit him playfully.
“Well, Chance and Lia are regretting what they