Vertigo

Ch.8 “Bittersweet Heart-drops”

The hallway seemed so long as Amber walked, looking at the walls, lined in pictures and inspirational quotes. The door at the end of the hallway was probably once white, but now was beige. ‘Meeting Room’ was written on it. She first protested when Tanner told her what she would be doing that day, but he insisted that he had the men’s dinner covered and didn’t need her help tonight. She groaned.

Children’s laughter and voices could be heard from the other side of the door and Amber really didn’t want to open it and walk inside… she wasn’t exactly the best with kids. Amber took a deep breath and opened the door slowly, peeking inside. Oh thank God, she sighed, seeing Eleanor, someone I know.

But the sight made Amber’s heart drop. There were about ten of them, all around the ages of 5 to 8 maybe, dressed in clothes that were either a little snug or too big on them. No, Amber thought frantically, biting her bottom lip, they can’t be all homeless.

“Children” Eleanor called gently, getting the kids’ attention. “This is Miss Amber, she was be spending some time with us today”

They all looked to her carefully, some grinning, others looking confused or nervous. A little girl about six years old caught her eye, she was looking at her with mild interest and a stubborn set jaw, her brown hair brushing the tops of her shoulders. Amber smiled and waved to the group, “Hello” her voice came out tentative.

A little blond boy came up to her and smiled broadly, “You that pretty girl th’ big kids talkin ‘bout?” he asked innocently, taking her hand in his and leading her to a chair.

Amber blushed, and smiled, “I don’t know” she answered honestly.

“You gotta be. Big kids said she was so pretty, she looked like a model” the little boy informed her, sitting next to her. The other children followed, taking their seats in a large circle. “You help Mr. Reid, right? With the dinners?”

Well he’s a little chatter box, Amber thought, grinning, “Yes” she said a little awkwardly, noticing the children looking at her, listening.

“I’m Michael… but ever’one calls me Mikey” he beamed, holding his hand out.

Amber shook his hand and smiled warmly, “I’m Amber”

During the next fifteen minutes, Amber had learned all the children’s names and hoped to remember them. Eleanor read them a story form a book with bright pictures and they were getting ready to start a craft project. Something about drawing -Amber thought it was a bit boring but Eleanor informed her that if you want to know what a child is thinking, have them draw a picture. That makes sense, Amber thought, it’s basic psychology.

The children were intent as they drew on the tile floor, crayons and markers and colored pencils were scattered around the floor and they talked quietly. The little girl that caught Amber’s eye from before -Molly- was drawing a box with things in it and a dog and woman, albeit somewhat lopsided but Amber could only guess that she was drawing where she use to live. Amber wanted to cry when she saw some of the pictures; Eleanor informed her of what some of them meant -some depicting abuse (physical and sexual), loneliness and fear. Others content and happy.

When the children had finished drawing, Eleanor collected the drawings, informing Amber that Tanner liked to check up on the kids especially, to see how they were adjusting and thinking.

“Okay we have fifteen minutes left!” Eleanor grinned, looking around the room.

Amber looked around as well, thinking. There were 10 kids, 6 of which were boys. The four girls looked so sad; “Eleanor, can I have some time with the girls?” she asked, picking up her purse, I can’t believe I’m doing this, she thought grumpily, what am I thinking!?

“Sure honey, I’ll take the boys to go play on the playground” Eleanor nodded.

Amber sat on the floor by the little group of girls and sighed, smiling. “Hello” she said quietly. The girls said hello back and Amber watched the rest leave before she turned back to the little girls, who looked confused. “I thought you girls would like a little girl time” she admitted, pulling out her makeup bag. “Have you ever had makeup on?” she asked the group.

“I had a tube of chap stick once” A little dark haired girl -Kailey said quietly. She was the one that depicted sexual abuse and neglect, Amber remembered.

“That doesn’t count as makeup” Molly sneered, tossing her hair back, trying to look ‘cool’, Amber decided.

“It can count” Amber smiled, pulling out a tube of Chap Stick out of her makeup bag and waving it slightly, grinning. Molly rolled her eyes, folding her arms in front of her chest. She’s scared, Amber noted, but said nothing.

“Okay who wants their makeup done?” Amber asked, smiling.

They call cheered and clapped their hands, making Amber feel a bit… important? She wasn’t sure.

“All right, all right.” she laughed, “who’s first?”

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Amber closed the door to her pool house and slid down to the floor, tears stinging her eyes. Today had been hard on her. She wasn’t use to seeing little kids like that; most of them orphans, others only having on parent. They were victims of abuse, neglect and financial burdens that were not their fault. She felt bad for them, and suddenly wanted to help them, but didn’t know why. Looking up at the clock through watery eyes, she saw it was only 5:30.

“I have enough time” she whispered, grabbing her keys and running back out her door.

Careful not to speed too much, Amber fished her cell phone out of her purse and dialed Rae’s number. I hope she picks up, Amber sighed.

“Hello?” Rae’s voice was quiet, as if she was sneaking the phone call.

“Rae? Its Amber” she gasped, turning down Rae’s street, “quick question… you know all those clothes your little brother and sister just grew out of?” Rae’s step-mother had two children with her father that were about 6 and 7.

“Yes” her answer was quick.

“Can I have them?” Amber asked, wincing when she heard her desperate sounding voice.

“Uh… okay” Rae was confused and Amber knew she was making that face.

“I’m in front of your house” she sighed, “Thank you”

Lugging the several bags of clothes was a more difficult task than Amber had thought, as she made her way up the steps to the shelter. It was about 6:30 now and she didn’t have much time. Sighing, she rang the bell and waited for someone to answer it.

After leaving Rae’s house, she stopped by her own house, gathering all the clothes that she didn’t need or wear anymore, along with her father’s clothes that needed to be donated or something anyways; she had about four black garbage bags full of clothes and they were really heavy.

“What are you doing?” Tanner was the one who answered the door. Amber blushed and took a deep breath.

“I don’t know… here” she scooted the bags closer to him. “They’re clothes…for everyone. I -I don’t have much time, I have to go but… here”

Tanner drew his eyebrows up and looked down at her, in a curious expression. “Right” he said slowly, lifting the bags one by one into the shelter. “Uh… thanks” he said.

“I have to go” Amber sighed, knowing this conversation was over. She was almost down the steps when Tanner called for her. “Yea?” she asked, and then jumped slightly when Tanner held her by her shoulders, a pondering look in his eyes.

“Why?” he asked quietly.

Amber sighed and drew her brows together; “I don’t know… its just clothes, okay” she tried to sound like it didn’t matter. “They’re old anyways and there was no way that I’m going to wear them.” she ignored Tanner’s amused face, “Besides, those little kids need something decent to wear”

Before Amber could do anything, Tanner bent down and kissed her lips -harder than their first kiss. His hands tangled in her hair as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, kissing him back. Their bodies pressed together and her mind buzzed and her body was tingling with giddy warmth.

Amber felt one of Tanner’s hands rest on the small of her back as his tongue dipped into her mouth, teasing and caressing hers. His kisses trailed across her cheek then down her neck, gently sucking and licking her skin; Amber groaned and pulled his head gently up to meet her lips again. Then slowly after a few more moments, he ended the kiss, stepping back a little and looked down to the ground. “Uh… thanks again” he said almost awkwardly.

Amber knew her face was flushed and her lips were slightly swollen and red. A blush crept through her face as he shifted his weight and backpedaled up the steps slowly, “You uh… you might want to go… it’s close to seven” he said quietly.

She noticed how his lips were too slightly reddened, a flush on his cheeks. His blond locks were messed up even more than before and he tried -unsuccessfully- to lay his hair flat on his head in a nervous attempt. His eyes were half opened and Amber decided she liked that look on him -completely off guard and giving into his emotions and letting go. He always seemed a little tense.

Never going to happen again, huh? Amber thought, hiding her smirk as she walked back to her car. Annoyance filled her though when she clearly thought about the situation -he kisses her, says he doesn’t regret it, won’t kiss her again, then kisses her again when she brings clothes? What the hell is wrong with him? Amber seethed, pushing her hair out of her face.

&&&&&&&&

It had been a… uneventful day; there was no school and Amber hadn’t really had any plans. Leigh ended up coming over about an hour ago and since then they had been watching some Soaps, and were now looking through Cosmo and Glamour. Since Amber’s probation, she had been spending a lot more time with Leigh; the red-head was a good person to just hang out with and not care if you didn’t do your hair or makeup perfectly that day. She was pretty… real.

Leigh sighed heavily, sitting on Amber’s bed and sifted through a magazine, clicking her tongue lightly. Amber sat on the other end of the bed, finishing her homework, her focus kept wavering to her kiss with Tanner. He was such a great kisser.

“So… I know you probably don’t want to talk about his but…” Leigh began, “it’s been bothering me. Who do you think called the cops?”

Honestly, Amber hadn’t thought of that, which was odd, since one would think that if you were caught by the police for using drugs, you might want to know who called them. “I… I don’t know” she said quietly. “Who do you think?”

Leigh shifted and bit her lip, pondering. “Dunno” she shrugged, “I mean, everyone likes you… except well, Jordan.” her friend smirked “I don’t know if she would sink that low.”

“Yea” Amber rolled her eyes, “She’s all talk” she mumbled, stretching then chuckled, “She hasn’t even tried to start shit with me since that day we got into this fight in the parking lot… stupid bitch” Amber huffed, “she honestly thought she was so smart and bitchy with her lame-ass fifth grade comments-”

Amber gasped, and shot her head to look at Leigh, remembering something that her blond bombshell nemesis had said to her the day she got arrested. “We’ll see” she said quietly, sitting on her knees.

“Huh?” Leigh asked, confused. “We’ll see what?”

Amber shook her head, “I can’t believe I didn’t know before…” she said. Amber sat next to Leigh and explained the whole story to her, about that day. Leigh listened intently with raised eyebrows and nodded along. “And then she said ‘we’ll see’.” Amber finished. “She had to of called the police. It can’t be anyone else.”

Leigh sighed and bit her bottom lip, moving the magazine to Amber’s nightstand. “Are you sure.”

“Positive.”

Sighing, Leigh grinned, “You know you have to get her back”

Amber grinned but sighed nonetheless, “I don’t want to get caught. She’ll know it’s me, whatever I do”

“No she wont” Leigh rolled her eyes, pushing her red locks out of her face. “I’ll make sure of that. Don’t worry”

Amber sighed, second guessing what she was about to do, but the bitch-mode kicked in when she remembered all those police men yelling at her and the cold handcuffs sliding around her wrists. “Okay” she said angrily. “The stupid bitch is going to pay”

&&&&&&&

Tanner groaned, flopping down onto his couch… bed. He had a small, inexpensive studio after all and only enough room for a full sized couch, dresser and television -along with the small kitchenette and bathroom. It wasn’t much, at all but it was better than the last place he use to live. Besides, it was a really comfortable couch and he had cable. Tanner grinned slightly, running his fingers through his hair and laid fully on the couch, secretly snuggling into the cushions.

I shouldn’t have done that, he scolded himself, sighing. Kissing Amber yet again; he shouldn’t even be thinking about kissing her. She was Cedrik’s charge for Christ’s sake! Tanner rolled his eyes, like I’m one to talk he grunted, pulling himself off the couch, suddenly very thirsty.

She had been so… human today. Eleanor had told him about Amber doing all the little girls’ makeup and brushing out their hair and braiding it for them. Tanner thought she was starting to come around but that really surprised him. And then when she had shown up struggling with four garbage bags full of clothes for not only the women in the shelter but for everyone in the shelter… that was it. It triggered something inside him that he couldn’t explain.

All he knew was that Amber Michaels had more than a pretty face at that moment. She had emotions and sympathy and understood something about what he was doing with the shelter. She didn’t have to give the shelter those clothes… she wanted to- whether she admitted to it or not.

Tanner put his empty glass in the sink and sighed heavily, hearing a knocking at his door. It had to be around nine at night and he couldn’t figure out who would be visiting him. But he grinned, opening the door seeing his long-time friend Cedrik Jones on the other side.

“Hey dawg, what’s going on?” Cedrik laughed, patting Tanner on the back as he let himself into the small studio and sat down on the couch.

Tanner grinned, leaning against the kitchen counter “Nothing exciting that’s for damn sure” he replied.

Cedrik gave Tanner a knowing look and leaned back on the couch, “Sure, sure” he trailed, cracking his neck. Tanner chuckled and shook his head slightly. “So how is Miss Michaels doing?”

Tanner coughed softly and nodded, “Great. I think she’s really beginning to open her eyes, ya know?” he said off-handedly. “Actually she brought some clothes for everyone in the shelter a few hours ago. Lots of clothes” Tanner added.

Cedrik smirked, “I knew that girl had a heart somewhere.”

Tanner sighed heavily and sat next to Cedrik, hanging his head slightly and tried to flatten his hair again -a nervous habit he picked up over the years. Cedrik arched a brow at his friend, “What’s your deal?” he asked quietly.

Tanner groaned, “I gotta talk to you about something but swear to me it’s off the record, Ced”

“Come on dawg, you know you can tell me shit” Cedrik grinned, “So go on. Completely off the record.”

The blond man scrubbed his scalp with his fingertips and grunted, “I’m fucked up”

“I thought you were going to tell me something new” Cedrik laughed, hitting Tanner on the back lightly. Tanner grinned.

“Naw, really Ced. I kissed Amber… twice” Tanner said quietly, drawing his brows together, “How fucked is that?”

Cedrik sighed and ran his hand over his scalp, “That’s the only thing you’ve done right?” he asked, “Completely off the record dawg”

“Yes, that’s the only thing I’ve done” Tanner replied. “But damn. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I shouldn’t have kissed her. She’s only seventeen and a bratty little rich girl”

“Listen… one, she’ll be eighteen in like two months. Two, yea she is a bratty little rich girl but she’s a bratty little rich girl with a shit load of baggage to go with it. And three…she’s not only a volunteer, but she’s a charge I sent to you. Can you handle this for seven more months?”

“You said this was off the record” Tanner interjected, sitting up straight.

“It is Reid” the caramel colored man sighed -Cedrik was the only one who called Tanner by his last name for some reason. Maybe it was because it was faster to say, whatever the reason, Tanner didn’t mind. “I’m saying this as your dawg, okay? And I’m telling you as a friend that it’s probably not a great idea to get involved with a charge who is also a minor.”

“That’s why I needed to talk to you” Tanner groaned, “I know. I told her that… but then she brought over all those clothes for everyone and… I dunno. I couldn’t stop myself”

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Cedrik sighed heavily, “But I’m also going to tell you -as a friend- that Amber is not only a real cute girl, she’s smart as hell and just needs a little guidance in her life. She’s made a lot of mistakes and she’s beginning to understand the consequences a little more. I’m also going to tell you -as a friend- that you two would be good for each other”

Tanner looked at Cedrik with curiosity. “Huh?”

Cedrik chose to ignore Tanner’s response and fix the collar of his button-up shirt. “Anyways, that’s just as a friend, don’t get all sappy and queer on me” he grinned.

Tanner rolled his eyes, “I’ll try to resist” his reply was that dry humor that Cedrik always got annoyed with.

Cedrik narrowed his eyes slightly but chuckled anyways. “It’s nice to see you interesting in someone again, Reid”

Tanner laughed and rolled his eyes, “Yea, unfortunately I have to be interested in a seventeen year old rich girl who likes to smoke pot and go shopping”

“Correction” Cedrik smirked, “Amber does not smoke pot anymore”

Tanner laughed and got up from the couch, stretching, “You want a beer?”

Cedrik shook his head, “Naw dawg, I gotta drive. What kind of a PO would I be if I was driving around after drinking?”

Tanner chuckled, nodding, while grabbing a long-neck bottle out of his fridge, “You have a point”

“I always do” Cedrik smirked, “But I gotta go anyways, dawg. Cant keep the lil ol’ lady waiting too long -she might start without me”

Tanner chuckled, “Is that bad?”

Cedrik cocked his head to the side and made a thoughtful expression, “Naw… but I want to at least watch”

“Get on out of here then” Tanner smiled, opening the door for his friend.

Before Cedrik got too far down the hallway outside of Tanner’s studio, he turned and sighed at his friend, “Reid!” he called.

“Yea?”

“Amber’s favorite color is lavender, and she loved Tai food”

Tanner raised his brows at the caramel colored man with curiosity but grinned all the same. “So?”

“Just a thought” Cedrik shrugged.

A/N: Longest Chapter yet? :) Oh yea.
Thank you so much for all you reviewers! Love you!
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