Chapter 2
"I'm so happy it's Christmas" Shelly said as Nick drove them to AJ's house
Nick didn't say anything, pulling into AJ's drive way. He got out and walked to the door.
"Thanks for being a gentleman" Shelly laughed walking up behind him.
Nick ignored her going into the house. "What's up ya'll" Nick smiled
"Hey Nicky," Howie said from his position on the couch.
"Hi" Amanda said coming out with her left hand sparkling
"He proposed?" Shelly asked in disbelief
"Yep" Amanda grinned.
AJ came around the corner and smiled at Shelly, "Hey baby" he said giving her a hug.
"I give you mad props...I didn't think you'd actually do it" she laughed hugging him back.
Aj chuckled pulling away. He looked at Nick who looked a little pissed, "SO anyway, now that we're all here, let's open presents"
Everyone gathered into AJ's living room. The girls sat on the floor and pulled out the presents that their guys had put there earlier.
"Oh my god Brian! You're so awesome!" Leighanne excailmed as she pulled out a diamond tennis bracelet. She hopped up and hugged him tightly. She continued to open her gifts from his lap.
Amanda handed Shelly her present from Nick.
"Thanks" She said taking it. She opened it to find a gold necklace with a small diamond stud. Underneath the necklace was a note.
She started to open it.
"Read that later" Nick said.
"Ok" she nodded, "Thank you" she smiled taking out the necklace and putting it on.
She sat back and watched everyone else. They boys opened their presents.
"Alright...now it's time to eat!" Kevin said getting up.
Shelly took out the letter again as everyone walked away and into the dining room. She sat on the couch and started to read it.
Shelly-
Ummmm....you know I'm not good with words so I decided to write this out. first of all, I want you to know...I don't wanna hurt you in anyway. Secondly...I want you to know that I appreciate everything about you. But I feel this needs to be done. I know you've noticed that things between us aren't perfect...and I don't know what to do to fix things...It just feels like it's running out. I think that us breaking up would be the best for us. I found someone else and I hope you do the same. I'm sorry about this baby...
Love, Nick
Shelly sat there staring at the letter. She watched as his words began to smear as her tears soaked the paper.
"Shells, come on and eat" Amanda said walking out but stopped when she saw her sitting there, "honey, are you ok?"
"Yea, I just need a minute"
"Ok" Amanda said walking in the kitchen.
"Is she coming" AJ asked as he put some ham on his plate.
"She's crying" Amanda whispered.
"Why?"
"I dunno"
Aj got up and walked out there.
Shelly looked up as he came in.
"Shelly, what happened girl?"
Shelly just handed him a paper.
Aj sat down and started to read the slightly blurred letter, "Oh" he said softly.
"That's all you can fuckin say? Oh? AJ, my fuckin life has been shattered"
"I don't know what to do"
"I'm leaving"
"Where are you going?"
"I don't fuckin know."
"Shells, you can't just leave without talking to him about it"
"What's there to say AJ?" she sobbed, "Am I supposed to beg him to take me back? To dump that new tramp he's with?"
"No...but you have to think about where you're going to go. You have no where to go"
"Fuck you! You don't even fuckin care about me. All you care about is you and you're fuckin life that's going so damn perfect right now...while mine is shattering all over the fuckin place! You're right, I have no place to go...but where AJ?"
"I do care about you" AJ said as he noticed people starting to come out of the dining room.
Nick stopped when he saw his letter sitting on the table.
"Whatever, bye" she said grabbing her purse and walking out the door. She started walking back towards the place that she shared with Nick.
"Shelly?"
Shelly looked next to her and saw Nick's green Durango driving next to her. She turned away and kept walking.
"Babe, listen to me"
"No Nick" she said walking a little quicker
"We need to talk this out."
"Is anything gonna change Nick?"
"Only the way you feel right now"
"Nick" she said stopping, "It's Christmas, you couldn't wait till tomorrow to break my heart?
"I'm sorry"
She opened her mouth and then closed it, "I'm just gonna get some of my stuff, then leave"
"Let me take you home"
"I'll walk"
"It's twenty miles"
"I don't give a damn"
"Shelly, get in the car"
She sighed walking around to the passenger side and got in. Nick and her drove a quiet ride home. When they got there Shelly went in and got her stuff together. She loaded stuff in her Acura Integra and went back in, "Ok, well I'm gonna go now"
"Shelly, we still haven't talked about us"
"Later" she mumbled walking out. She got in the driver's side and started driving.
She got on the freeway and started driving towards the state she was born and raised in.
Seven hours later, she saw a sign that said Welcome to Georgia.
"Finally" she sighed. At three o'clock in the morning, Shelly parked in front of her mom's house.
She got out and unlocked the door.
"Mommy?" she asked walking into her mothers room.
"Shelly?" her mom asked opening her eyes and rubbing them.
"Yea"
"Sweetie, what bought you here at this hour?" she asked as Shelly sat on her bed.
"I'll tell you in the morning. Night mom"
"Night sweetie, Merry Christmas"
"You too mommy" she said walking down the stairs and crawling on the couch.
~*~*~*~
"So what happened?" Shelly's mom asked as she and Shelly sat at a small coffee shop.
"I dunno, I don't know why...but he says he already has someone"
"He does?"
"Yea...He said I should move on too. Mom, why would he do that to me...especially on Christmas."
"Sweetie, maybe you two weren't meant to be"
"It took him two and a half years to figure that out?"
"I never liked him anyway, have you talked to anyone?"
"No, I don't want them to know where I am"
"You should let them know you're ok"
Shelly just shook her head.
"What about AJ?"
"Mom"
"I was just asking"
"I know, hey, how about we go shopping ok? I need some more clothes."
"Sure sweetie. Oh yea, what are you gonna do about school"
"Oh my god" she said slapping her head, "I so didn't think about that mom. I have to go back and finish out the semester"
"Are you gonna transfer?"
"Yea"
"I'm so happy you'll be home. I get so lonely now that...."
"Shhhh" Shelly said taking her mom's hand and walking outside.