Generation 2, Chapter 2: The candle has been lit

"Wow... Nice place you got here. Though it could do with some sprucing up, don'tcha think? Some disco lights would look awesome. Hey, where's the bathroom? I still need to go, urgently. Those gas station attendants were weird, so I couldn't go there," Bridget rants off as she easily glides past me, with not a care in the world that she's intruding - I mean, it's 3:00 AM for Pete's sake!

Maybe it's sleep deprivation, maybe it's stress. Maybe it's the anger that still lingers from the weird encounter I had with that one guy the previous day. Whatever the case, I flip out on my younger sister.

"Bridget... What the hell are you doing here? I moved towns to get away from you guys, and now your following me?" I try my best to make my words sound clear, but it's hard to manage when you hardly got any sleep.

"Huh? I'm just visiting, Kay-Kay. So your telling me there's something wrong with visiting relatives? Wow. That's harsh," she responds, her eyes shining bright with fake innocence. That pitiful look just pushes me off the edge.

"Yeah, there is, actually. Especially when the sibling treated you like crap when she was a teen, and only talked to her sibling when she needed someone. But what happened when I needed someone? Oh no, you were to busy snogging that doll Keegan. I've had it with that. I just want you to get the hell out of my life."

What came next surprised me.

In response, Bridget bursts into tears for some reason. I knew it couldn't be my attitude or my words, because she has spoken worse than I ever could, with some bad words mixed in as well. 

"What now, Bridget? Is this some fake act to get me to allow you to stay here? I'm really sorry, Bridget, but I can't. I can't let you live here."

"No, it's not that. I-I just wanted to come and tell you I was gonna live here in town," Bridget confesses. "But, when you said Keegan... Keegan left me, Kay-Kay. He used me for sex, and then left. How could he do that? He told me wasn't in for a one-night-stand. So what happened?"

Instead of speaking my thoughts out loud, I sit with her on my bed and listen to her troubles. I know Keegan would drop out on her; he only used her to become a real person, and now he's gonna live his life, probably screwing over other girls who are lame enough to fall for his sweet talking.

It's the first time Bridget and I really connect. For once, I see her as my sister, and not just some random goth on the street. For once, I respect her, because she came to me with her troubles, and not someone else who would break her down. That's kinda nice, in a weird way.

Sleeping in boots and leather pants can't be comfortable, I figure. Grabbing an old pair of pajamas from my wardrobe, I lay it next to her, so she could get dressed into it if she ever woke up.

The couch is my bed for the evening. It's sad to know that I'm not the first person to enjoy a good night's rest in my bed, but I shrug it off. Bridget needs it more than I do.

The hours pass quickly, and next thing I know, it's 8 AM. I get up and jump into the shower for two minutes, only making sure I smell nice for the day ahead. Being lazy to dress up, I dress in the same clothes as yesterday, but with a comfy sweater. Settling in to watch the morning's news, I hear soft footsteps behind me, and a second later, Bridget settles next to me on the couch.

"Sleep well?" I mumble.

"Not too bad," she shrugs. I sneak a peek at her, and almost gawk. Bridget looks completely different without her Gothic clothes and braided up hair. There are still some make-up outlines from the previous day that haven't washed out, but she it doesn't make her look any less human.

"Listen...," she starts, and I put the TV on mute. "I probably should have called, or something, before popping up here. But truth be told, I couldn't. I had sneaked out of the house, aged myself up and ran away. Mom and dad are probably looking for me, but I couldn't care less. I just want to live on my own."

"Bridget?! How could you? Mom would die; she's probably worried sick. We have to at least call!" I almost get up with shock. After a few deep breaths, my anger is contained, and I feel up to talking again. "Your not living on your own. Your crashing at my place," I point out.

"I know, I know. I'll sort that out. But, please... Don't send me away. I don't wanna go back to dreary Sunset freakin' Valley. It's just not my scene. This place is. The fashion is FANTASTIC. Speaking of fashion... We need to give you a make over. Your fashion sense is horrible, to say the least."

"There is nothing wrong with my fashion sense. I was just lazy to dress up, alright?"

"Don't you have an important appointment today, with an agent? So you can get started on your career?" she questions, a deep frown situated between her brow. "Yes, I did snoop through your schedule, but for good cause. We should really spice up your style. I'll go have a shower, and when I get back, I'll help you choose out some clothes."

Bridget jumps up and skips all the way to the bedroom. I can't help but smile. She's so emotionally immature most of the time.

Even though Bridget might not care about how mom and dad feels about her leaving, I do. I know that dad will probably call the police to go looking for her, and that mom would possibly have a heart attack because of grief. As soon as I hear the bathroom door shut, I nearly fling myself to the phone and start dialing the familiar number of my mom.

"-ello?" my mom's voice comes through breathlessly. She was probably doing some kind of yoga or whatnot - she's much more into doing sports lately.

"Hi, mom, it's me, Kaylin. How's it going?" I almost laugh when I ask her how's it going. Well, it's the only icebreaker I have.

"Oh, Kaylin, sweetheart! It's so good to hear your voice. We've really been missing you. Well, daddy and I... We're doing alright. How's things in Starlight Shores? Are the people treating you nicely?"

"Well, there was this one incident," I say, recalling the strange brown haired fella. "But other than that, everyone is really welcoming." I pause, not sure how to phrase the next part of my sentence. "Uh, mom, there's something we need to talk about."

"Do you have any better hair clips than this ol' fancy thing?" Bridget's voice interrupts me.

"No, I don't," I gesture to her, walking towards the window as she comes closer.

"Who was that, honey?" my mom asks.

"Oh, no one of importance," I lie, but regret it. "Okay, it IS someone of importance. It's Bridget."

"WHAAAAAT?!?" my mom shouts down the phone. I hold the phone a few inches away from my face until she can finally calm down.

For a sensitive person, my mom has quite a vocabulary full of "bad" language. I turn around the see Bridget awkwardly clasping at her hair. "I guess you told mom about me..."

I nod, and put the phone back to my ear. Mom throws questions at me faster than I can handle. "What is she doing there?", "When did she arrive?", "How long has she been staying?" are just a few things she asks about.

"She got here last night, and I don't know why she's here - maybe because she's bored with Sunset Valley."

"You put that girl on the phone right this INSTANT, and tell her we'll put her on a plane back to home. She still has to finish school."

"Actually, she's eighteen now, mom, so you can't tell her what to do anymore," I interrupt. "And... I think I'll take her in for now. Maybe I'll be a good influence on her. Who knows?" Bridget's eyes light up as I say this, and she clasps her hands together, repeating 'thank you' the entire time.


Mom nearly shouts at me, but I can hear that she keeps that feeling under lock and key, for the time being.

I end the call not too long afterwards, as the conversation takes an awkward turn.

"Nu uh uh!" I call to Bridget as I notice she's about to sneak out the apartment. "I have something to say to you, missy, so get your booty back here or else."

"You're not my mom," she grumbles, slouching towards me.

"Apparently you don't listen to your mom, so you can just as well listen to me. Now, I just saved your ass from being fried by our parents. I want you to stay out of trouble and not cause havoc in town. That's all I ask of you. You can stay with me, for the time being, but your gonna have to crash on the couch."

"One question," she puts up her hand. I sigh, and gesture for her to continue. "When can I give you a make over?"

I can't help but snort in derision. "Fine. You can help me choose out my clothing for the day now."

Although she has a preference for dark colored clothing, Bridget has a great sense of style and diverseness, being able to quickly pick out a short dress that would look great for an interview.

"And now, my dear sister, you are ready to enter the town and paint it red," Bridget laughs darkly. 

Across the street from the karaoke bar, the place where I ended up yesterday, is a country themed hang out, and the place where I meet the agent who could put me in touch with some proprietors.

"Hi, hello!" a sleek figured female greets me with a chipper smile. "My name is Janelle Stiles, and I will be your agent. You may also refer to me as 'your new best friend', seeing as you and I will be in close contact from now on."

"New best friend? That's the best thing I've heard since arriving in town! My names Kaylin, Kaylin Webber. Pleasure to meet you."

"Webber?" she ponders out loud. "That sounds rather familiar... I know there's really hotshot businessman with the last name Webber..."

I nearly choke. Who would have thought that my father's business enterprise would reach as far as Starlight Shores? The thing is, I want to make myself famous, without my family's name to give me a boost.

"Uh... No, I'm not related to him. In actuality, my family's name is Webster, but I wanted it to be Webber, so it's easier on the tongue."

"Oh, okay. That's understandable. Well, lemme get started with explainin'..." My attention drifts off as I become enthralled by the spectacle behind her. On the mechanical bull, there was a hunk of a man, expertly managing to stay on the bull.

"...Kaylin? Have you heard anything I just said?" Janelle interrupts my thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I didn't. Not to be rude or anything, but who is that guy on the bull?"

Janelle takes quick peek behind her, and turns back with a huge smile. "Oh. That guy. That's Charlie Rapp, A.K.A. bachelor of the year, A.K.A. my brother's best friend's cousin... Anyways, he is probably the hottest guy in town. He had a girlfriend a while ago, but dumped her when he found out she cheated on him. I tried to work up the courage to go talk to him, but failed. Which is really sad, come to think about it," she sniffles as she says the last part.

Excusing myself from the table, I tip-toe closer to the mechanical bull, gawking at how good he is at steering it.

"It just takes years and years of practice, and working out in the gym a lot," Charlie winks at me, causing me to freeze in my steps.

For more than 20 seconds, Charlie stays on, before deciding to stop by himself. Never in my life have I seen someone to such a dangerous thing, yet come out of it unscathed. Of course, it's just a fake bull he was riding, but the injuries are real.


"For the pretty girl in the audience dressed in blue, I will show you all my amazing show stopper." It takes a moment for me to realize that I was the only one watching, other than Janelle, and the only one dressed in blue. My cheeks burn with warmth, and I smile timidly at him.

Just like an professional acrobat, Charlie flings himself into the air, doing a perfect somersault before landing softly on the ground, despite his bulky figure.

"Wow... That was a really neat trick," is all I manage.

"That's not the only trick I know," he smiles brightly, and plucks out a beautiful bunch of white roses.

"Oh my, you're an acrobat and a magician. Talk about being diverse in many things!"

"Thank you, thank you. I'm here till Thursday," he bows, then chuckles, extending his hand. "I'm Charlie. What's your name? I don't think I've seen you here before."

"Kaylin," I shake his hand warmly. "You definitely haven't seen me around. I just arrived and moved into my apartment yesterday."

"Ah, that's nice. Have you gotten a job yet? If not, I can pass your number along to some people who would be interested in new personnel."

"Nah, I already have someone helping me; Janelle, who's sitting over there, is gonna put me in touch with some proprietors."

"Proprietors? You're gonna be a performer?" he frowns.

"Yeah, actually, I am. I kinda wanna be a singer, and... Oh no," I groan as I notice the brown haired guy from yesterday entering.

"What, you know Aaron?"

"So that's his name... I don't know him, but I did have a not-so-pleasant encounter with him last night."

"Hahaha, he does have his moments... He's not that bad of a guy, he was just trying his luck, probably. He's actually my best friend," Charlie shrugs.

I wave my hand, dismissing his words, and walk straight to where Aaron is standing.

"Hi there," I say in a friendly yet mocking tone. "Remember me?"

"Uh... Not really? You seem like a real nice person, so I'm sorry if I did something to offend you, or if you were one of those one-night-stands... I get tipsy a lot and don't remember the rest of the night."

"Maybe this will refresh your memory," I thrust my hand out and smack him a couple of times in the face. Gosh, it feels so good to release some anger.

"I guess I deserved that...," he mumbles. "Look, please, you have to understand. Last night wasn't a good night for me. I lost a pal of mine in a car crash, and wasn't taking it well... Some other friends took me out and got me really drunk. I'm sorry if I did something crazy, or something that offended you, but I wasn't in the right sense of my mind."

His story causes me to falter, and I have nothing to say in response. I was definitely not prepared for such a heartfelt apology.

"Uh, um, alright... I'm sorry about slapping you like that, but I really was angered by what you did, and it was my first day in a new town yesterday," I shrug.

"Hey, no biggie. By the way, what exactly did I do last night?"

I snort. "You hit on me, and suggested we do some crazy things."

Aaron smacks his own face, and I feel terrible for having said that. "God dammit, I'm gonna kill Ricky for getting me drunk... Really, really, please accept my apology, uh... What's your name again?"

"It's Kaylin, and your Aaron, right? Nice to meet you...again."

"Kaaaaaaaylin!" Janelle calls me over. "I actually managed to get a proprietor here who wasn't fake-busy, so please, would you get your booty over here and sing?"

"Sing?" I nearly choke. "Right here, in front of all of you?"

"Uh, yeah, that's what you're gonna do one day when your famous, obviously, and singing in front of huge crowds!"

Nervously, as the music equipment is being set up, I prepare myself and the song I would sing. The only song I can really express myself in is Adele's Someone Like You, as I have a country edge that fits in.

The music starts, and I ease myself into the rhythm. It's shaky at first, and I try my best to be calm.

As the part after the chorus starts, I hit the right notes and feel more relaxed - maybe it's because I have had the same experience depicted in the song.

"You know how the time flies

Only yesterday was the time of our lives

We were born and raised

In a summer haze

Bound by the surprise of our glory days"

The song reminds me a lot of my own experience that I had with Keegan. First being the time he left me alone, and the second being that he wasn't actually a real person, just a doll. All that time seemed so wasted.

With the last note sung, the guys erupt into cheers, and Janelle smiles fondly. "That was really great," she comments, then jerks her head towards the other person in the room, who turns out to be a proprietor.

"Hello, mam, I'm Kaylin. I, uh, hope you enjoyed my performance," I introduce myself.

"Hi there, Kaylin. Miss Stiles has told me all about you, but I'm not so sure she has done the same about me. I'm Kathleen Lisbon, and I am the proprietor for this par. And although I was really impressed by your singing talents... You did have your off moments. I'm not saying it was bad, it could have been better. I can't offer you a gig yet, but I suggest you start off as a street performer, delivering sing-a-grams. I'll sign the official papers for you, so you'll be registered as an singer."

It might not be the news I was hoping for, but it was definitely better than nothing. I high-five Janelle as I walk past her, and she jumps with delight.

"We should really celebrate. Come on, there's a nice hang-out spot on the second floor of this building."

Our manner of celebrating isn't like the "traditional" way. Instead of dancing,  drinking and getting drunk until you vomit, we listen to some tunes from the jukebox, and enjoy playing at the pool table. With my success, I notice that Charlie and Janelle play horribly, just to keep me happy and in a cheery mood.

"Thank you, for sticking around," I say to Janelle and the guys, "but now I must bid you goodnight, otherwise my sister will take over my apartment."

"Wait, I'll walk you out," Aaron offers.

"I'll come with," Charlie agrees.

In silence, all three of us walk down the stairs to the exit of the hangout. At the door, I tell them to pause.

"I'm a big girl, and I can walk to my car by myself. It's standing there, right in the road, not too far from here. So, thank you for being gentleman, but good night."

I smile and wave, quickly making my way to my car. The guys are still leaning by the doorway, and I want to smack my head into the dashboard: Did I lead them on, or were they just being gentleman? I sincerely hope it's not the first one.

Being utterly exhausted, I sluggishly open and lock my apartment door, immediately going to my bedroom and not bothering to search for Bridget. But something stops me. A growing feeling somewhere inside me tells me that something in this apartment is wrong. A quick peek around the lounge tells me there' no danger there. So the only other place something could be wrong is... In my bedroom.

With a moment's doubt, I throw open the door, and hesitantly take a glimpse of the room's contents. Before me, the scene that envelops is just plain mind-boggling. Bridget is in my bed with some random guy. Honestly, my bed. I find myself strangely calm, but I know: It's always calmest before the storm.

"Would you two lovebirds please explain to me what the HELL is going on here?" I spit out between clenched teeth.