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

I smile at her. Who is she? Darren has never mentioned a girl before. “You know, I wish I had someone like Darren. He’s just so…” She twists her blonde hair around her fingers and trails off.
“Yeah, he’s so…” I didn’t finish my sentence, mocking her a bit, while I down my shot. It burns the way down my throat, and I take the other and down that as well. I haven’t had alcohol since July. I’m no addict, but it felt so good to have some back in my system.
“Well, you better keep that man, or I’ll just have to take him.” She smiles sweetly, and walks back to her friends leaving me there utterly confused.
I order a few more and the bartender tells me that he had just heard the conversation and gave me the shots on the house. Feeling bad anyway, I take out a twenty and put it down on the bar and down the shots. This was not enough to get me drunk, but to get my body relaxed.
I sit there and watch as Darren has fun talking and drinking with his friends. Sophie sees me watching and makes her way over to Darren. She starts flirting and whispering in his ear. He looks at her and smiles. Something he says upsets her a bit, but she continues. I tear my eyes away as Darren strokes her hair and stare straight ahead. I can’t help but feel jealousy coming. Glancing over again, they are centimeters away from each other’s faces. They get closer and closer, and I can tell Darren is drunk, but I cannot believe he was still going to kiss her. I laugh at myself for falling for a guy who I met the day I got into New York. I smile bitterly, and walk over to the front entrance and see that Sophie is on Darren’s lap and they are full on making out. I go to call Trevor to pick me up, and stand outside to wait. Tears threaten to spill, and I glare at the club’s lights.
The bouncers keep the guys who are hitting on her away, and I stand outside in the cold, waiting for Trevor. I hear Darren calling my name as he gets to the front entrance, and I don’t look at him. Trevor told me he would be here in a few minutes because this club wasn’t far from the hotel Sandra had her party at.
“Mae, what are you doing in the cold?” I glare at Darren through my lashes. “What? Why are you glaring- oh. You saw.” The color drains from his face and I see Trevor’s car pull up. Darren holds onto my arm, and pleads for me to stay, but I honestly have no words for him so I rip my arm out of his hold, and get in the car with Trevor. “Mae, give me a chance to explain!” Darren begs while I stare straight ahead in Trevor’s car, and the valet shuts the door.
“Trevor…” I whisper shakily.
“Come on, you are coming to my place.” I nod gratefully, and go to his apartment. “You know, it’s not good for you to live your life in a hotel. Maybe you could get your own apartment, and live on your own for a while. No boys or parents to interfere.”
I nod and stare out the window, and think about what he had just said. I really haven’t lived alone, and it would be a big change, for me to become fully independent. I fall asleep in Trevor’s car.
The next morning, I wake up in a spacious room that is completely white. I look and see that I am in a large oversized t-shirt. I look up and there is a large picture of Trevor. Right then, he walks in and sees me super confused.
“Morin’, sunshine.” He says brightly.
“How did I end up in your t-shirt?” I ask, sitting up.
“I changed you into it. I swear though, I didn’t try anything on you. Plus, I slept on the couch.” He smiles proudly. I hear my phone go off, and I look for it. “Don’t bother. It’s been ringing all night. It’s probably Darren, for the millionth time.”
“Oh, right. Hey, I was thinking…do you want to go apartment hunting with me?” I ask quietly. He looks at me and smiles.
“Sure, why not? Then we can hang out afterwards.” I smile and he hands me some shorts so that I could go to the hotel room to change. We arrive at the hotel and there’s Chase. I haven’t seen him since that night when Darren and I…
Trevor waits outside while change and freshen up. I see a note from Darren.
Mae,
I’ve gone to work. Hopefully you see this, and hopefully you can see how much I care. I’m sorry about last night. I know I made a mistake, but…
I really need to talk to you. Maybe you’ll see this and be back tonight.
I love you.
Darren.

Changes

8

Trevor and I went to breakfast at the ever so famous Breakfast Fast. I smile at the simple name while Trevor orders for us. We are going to forget about what Darren did, and we are going apartment hunting. Realizing that I never grew independent, I suddenly got very depressed. There was the pressure on me again, but this time it was as if there was a presence with me.
“Mae, you can feel me near you right now, am I correct?” The voice asks.
“Yes.” I answer silently.
“You are still going through the second phase of your transformation. I cannot reveal myself yet, but as you know, we must keep you happy.”
“Yes, but I highly doubt you can fix my pain.” I pout a bit. Trevor notices and he smiles at me. I lighten up my mood, and I tell the voice that I could get better in time. The pressure from my body is relieved and I try to not think about Darren.
Trevor knew some good areas in the city where I could find an apartment, and most of the apartments were very expensive, but so spacious. I am the type who doesn’t mind the space, but I do mind the money. Although I am Sandra Cass’s face, I don’t get paid a ton. I get a little pocket money, and enough to pay for the hotel room, but that’s with Darren paying as well. If I wanted to become independent, I would have to make sacrifices.
I decided to get a small apartment that was perfect for me. It had a big closet, a pretty small kitchen with a decent sized living area, a small bathroom, a small bedroom that fit a desk, vanity, and a bed set. I was glad I didn’t have to go furniture shopping since the apartment came fully furnished. The only down part about it was that it was mid-town. I would have to get Trevor or David to pick me up for shoots.
Trevor drove me back to the hotel so that I could start getting my things to bring to my new apartment. I realized that things have been going so fast. Yesterday, I found Darren making out with someone else, and today I was getting out of this relationship and into my new independent life. We entered the room to find Darren with Sophie, getting into it. I stop dead in my tracks causing Trevor to bump into me. They look up and Darren curses. I let my face be void of emotions while I walked slowly into the closet and take down my big suitcase that I used to get to New York and start to throw my clothes into it while Trevor helps with my shoes. Darren looks shocked but Sophie looks triumphant. Ignoring their stares, I let Trevor finish in the closet so that I can collect my bathroom things. I grab all my stuff like my makeup, brush, my jewelry, and more and put it into their little bags or containers. Putting it into the ready suitcase, I start to leave.
“Mae! Where are you going?” Darren asks, clearly torn.
“Dude, just let her go. Look, I know you wanted to work things out, but look what you’re doing now.” Trevor says quietly.
“Let the bitch leave. You should have known about this since before Darren got this job. I found him, and guess what; he was only using you to have a place to live.” Sophie remarks. I turn around and look at Darren.
“Dare, I have to leave. It turns out that I really was your rebound.” I start to tear up, and Trevor ushers me out of the room. I thank him and make my way to Trevor’s car.
“Mae, you will be fine. You don’t need a person who tricks you for something. You don’t know how much he will regret losing you. I promise.” Trevor comforts me in the car.
“Pinky swear?” I whisper, holding out my pinky. He smiles and takes in my pinky with his.
“Promises are things I like to keep.”

I haven’t seen Darren in two months.
I heard from his mom once, thinking that we were still together. She wanted to go take me out. I declined.
Today is December 19th. It’s my graduation party. I wasn’t going to walk in any ceremony since I was starting to attract attention. Trevor, David, Daisy, Sandra, and the Johnsons were here. I made more model friends and shop owner friends as well as college student friends. They all showed up to my party and the best part was that I got my mom and dad to fly in as well, with Aunt Josephine and Ed. They were excited. Everyone was. Things have been going well since I decided to leave Darren and actually become independent. It turns out that I am more responsible and I can take care of myself just fine.
It also turns out that Trevor was right. I was fine. I have to learn to be less trusting, or that’s what Trevor thinks. I smile whenever I think of him now. He’s my best friend. He was my savior and that makes him the hole in my heart. With him around, I had nothing to fear. I wasn’t rushing into anything, and that made Trevor happy to be able to make me realize that I didn’t need anyone but myself.
Things have been going well at work too. I get extra pay for when I tutor Jack, and I get a pretty nice pay now that I have done a thousand shoots for Sandra and other designers. There have been offers for me to start acting, but I definitely wasn’t ready. In time, who knows what I could do.
I’ve been talking to my parents more and more, through my land line while my cell phone is for people in New York. I’ve been getting more and more attention when I go out. There are pictures of me and Trevor everywhere. That’s where my