Heartbreak

Having learned to never believe in love, Joie McAllister used guys as a social link instead of risking the chance of another lost attempt at so called 'love'. One by one, she broke the hearts of boys. They were willing to give her everything under the sun, but she didn’t care what they had to offer her or even if the were hurt in the process. She wanted to be known by standing on her own, not needing a man, and never having a hurt soul.


Half way into her freshmen year, she sees a guy. Staring at him, her mind goes blank on words used to describe him. As he is walking clumsy across the cafeteria floor to the trash can, she notes him closer. His hair is brown, bangs cut to right above his eyebrows, medium-length, and curling at the ends. The color of his crisp, cool, blue eyes easing the burn coming from deep inside her stomach. His lips smiling into a laugh, how smoothly and perfectly preformed.

She’s snapped from her daze.

“Hello, earth to Joie. Any one inside there?” says her friend, Izzy.

“Oh, yeah, um, sorry about that. What were we talking about?” She asks.

“Well, we,” Barbra says, as she looks to Izzy and our group around the table, then continues, “were talking about how you’re drooling all over yourself.”

Joie’s face turns red before she speaks, “really did I make it that noticeable?”

“Possibly. Sure it was only us who noticed though. I mean we’ve only known you forever, and not once has anyone ever seen that look cross your face,” Wanda adds.

“Okay, good, I didn’t want to look stupid to everyone. And what look? I didn’t have a look.”

Her friends laugh, and soon enough she chimes in.



Later that night, as Joie’s finishing up her homework, her mom yells up the stairs, “Joie, telephone.”

Joie walks down and whispers, “Who is it?”

“It’s Belinda, she’s calling to invite you to her party Saturday.”

Grabbing the phone from her moms hand she replies, “Oh, okay that’s cool.”

“Hello, Bee?” she says into the receiver.

“Hey girl, what you up to this weekend?” Belinda asked.

“Probably the same as always, nothing.”

“Well clear your schedule you’re coming here for my sixteenth birthday party. Be here early to, you can help decorate and pick out my outfit,” she says giggling.

“Okay, I’ll be there. Who all is invited?”

“Well the usuals, then some of my friends from Hampton are coming.”

“Kay, I’ll be there more then likely around 6:30, is that fine?”

“Perfect!” she squeals, “I’ll see ya then. Love ya.”

“Alright, later,” says joie as she clicks the end button on the phone.


Slowly and surely, Saturday rolls around, and as Joie had promised she was there at 6:30 sharp. Not bothering to stop and knock on the door she walks on in. “Hello? Where is everybody?”


“Outside, Joie,” she hears her Aunt Angie calling from the back porch.

Walking through the living room she glances around the hula dressed house. “Hawaiian themed party I’m guessing?” Joie asked walking out the back door on to an ‘island’ porch.

“You’ve guessed right, young’n,” a dark tanned, blonde says to her.

“Hey chick!” Bee shouts from below, “That’s Jess. Tall one over by the DJ is Alice, then there’s CMA, Rachel, and Britt.”

Joie offers a small wave, “Hey ya’ll. I’m Joie.”

“Hi,” “Hey,” “sup,” they all say in unison.

Bee then speaks up with a sly smile and a wink, “guess who else I’ve invited Joie?”

Flashing through her head all sorts of people Bee would choose from to invite, she simply says, “No idea. Who?”

“Well, I was kinda told about you got all goo-goo eyes about.”

Feeling the heat in her cheeks she recovered quickly, “and who would this be exactly?”

“Trey Newcomb, you know the cutie you were stalkin’ at lunch few days ago?”

“I was not stalking!!” Joie says rolling her eyes, “just watched him for a few, like other guys I find interesting.”

“Yeah and that’s why people are saying you’ve finally found a guy worth your love.”

“I don’t love him!” Joie’s shout causes a jump in the small gathered crowd, after a short pause Joie continues, “Let’s just drop it now, please?”

“Ok, ok, consider it dropped and drowned.”



“People are here!” CMA yells through the house.

Joie walks out of the kitchen munching on crackers to the back yard. With the little light coming from the sun set, she glances around and notices a few people from school. Slowly her smile starts fading. “Hey, Joie! Over here!” says her friend Ally, waving at her from across the yard. She lightens up some and walks over to her friends.

“Hey, what’s up? Find the place alright?” Joie asked.

“Yeah, but you weren’t kidding when you said it was in the sticks!”

“Ha, yeah told you it was a ways off the road.” Joie laughs, then asks in a lower voice, “So, um, your friends with Trey, right?”

“Yeah, something like that. Why?”

Joie blushes, “Just talked to him in school the other day, I was wondering if he was coming out here tonight. Is he?”

Oblivious to Joie’s reaction, she continues, “Yeah, he is. Just got done talking to him actually. Said he had a few more things to run and do then he was headed out here ASAP. Then again, it’s not like him to miss any parties,” she finishes with a laugh.

“Oh, cool,” feeling her stomach starting to flutter again, she smiles and heads towards the Hampton girl’s.

She starts dancing to pass the time by, but never stops watching over her shoulder for Trey to arrive. Then it happens, he walks around the corner and her world freezes. Dressed in a red and white striped shirt and camouflage shorts, she can’t help but to laugh. She catches herself staring a little too late, he’s already noticed. Blushing, she walks off the dance floor and gets a drink. Propped against the wall next to the table she watches him mingle and chat with everybody there. She notices how every group he dives into always ends up laughing. Also the smile he gets when someone smacks him for teasing.

Joie continues to smile, unaware of the feelings going on inside her and realizing that watching him makes time go by faster then it had all night. Her legs start getting tired from standing, so she takes another sip from her sprite, throws the can away, and makes her way to the chairs by the DJ.

“Hey, sweetheart,” says Joie’s mother, “Having fun?”

“Hi, mom. Didn’t know you were coming,” Joie says with shock.

“Why in the world would I miss my nieces sixteenth birthday, Humm?”

“Oh, well I didn’t think about it like that.”

“Yeah, so you having fun tonight?”

Joie smiles and says, “More then what I thought I would have.”

“Why don’t you go dance some more? Seems like you were having fun with it earlier, plus Angie and I are getting quite a few laughs out of you trying.”

“MOM!” Joie says, smacking her mom on the leg.

“What I’m just telling you the truth, honey. You really can’t dance.”

“Well I don’t care, and fine I will! Gosh, you’re such a loser,” Joie says, then sticks out her tongue.



Another 2 hours pass and the crowd starts dying out. Sitting in the chairs by the dancing group, Joie is surprised when someone walks over and sits beside her.


“Hey,” says Trey, “Where ya been? Haven’t seen ya any since the library the other day. Disappeared on me I see, now you were going to go all night with out speaking to me. Tsk, tsk, what am I going to do with you?” He lets out a small laugh.

“Yeah, I tend to stay busy a lot. Plus I was sick the last few days of school, probably why I haven’t been seen. And also, what could any body ever do to me? Not my fault people don’t ask for numbers anymore so they keep in touch.” Joie raises one eyebrow and folds her arms in.

He laughs, “Yeah, I guess you do have a point, so um, what’s your number?”

“Ha, your going to have to try wayyyyy harder then that.”

“Ok then, how am I suppose to reach you?”

Clueless on what to say next she pauses shortly thinking threw answers. “How about you think of an idea, and let me know by time you leave?”

“Wish I had time but I’m bout to head out now.”

Joie frowns, but quickly recovers.

“How about you get a friend and I’ll grab on of my boys and we’ll chill tomorrow afternoon. Sound good?”

“Sounds great!” she said a little over excited.

“Alright what time is good for you? Say meet me at stagecoach around 2:30?”

Calmer she answers, “fine by me.”

“K, see ya then.” Joie starts walking away. “What no hugs? Wow just goin’ to leave me hanging like that I guess” Trey says with a smirk.

Joie face lights up with a sly smile and she walks back over to him. He wraps his arms around her, squeezing tightly around her waist and let’s go. “See ya tomorrow, Joie,” he says walking away.



Delighted with her night, she walks back into the house glowing with satisfaction. She makes her way to the couch and falls down onto it. Lost in thought she is soon awoken with yelling from the kitchen. “Mom, I don’t want her staying here, we already have a house full and I don’t really care too much for her anyways! Make her sleep out side if she’s staying,” Bee says.

Annoyed, Joie walks into the kitchen, “What’s going on in here World War three?”

“Bee doesn’t want Ally staying her to night but her ride bailed out on her.”

“She could stay at our house,” said Joie’s mom from the other side of the room, “if it’s alright with you anyways?” she asked Joie.

“Yeah, actually, that a quite perfect idea.” Joie smiled.

“Ally, you willing to hang with me and a couple of friends for a few hours tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yeah, no problem at all!” Ally says.

“Ok,” Joie beams on the thought of how her plan is coming together perfectly.

When they get back to Joie’s house, she fills Ally in on her plans for the next day.

“Aww, too cute!” Ally replies.

“Yeah, yeah, what ever, but your cool chillin’ with one of his friends though right?”

“Totally, not a problem.”



Ally passed-out shortly after hitting the bed. She snored horribly load, but Joie was unaware of what sounds where going on besides the music inside her head. All she could hear was his voice and the sound of people stumbling over each other in the background. Nothing was daring enough to break her trance. The way he had hugged her, left an impression that lasted into her dreams. She woke with a smile, thinking of what today would bring, of course only happiness should come, or so she hoped. Ally was waking and eating the house it seemed when she walked down stairs. “Good morning, sleepy-head.” Ally said to Joie as she walked towards the fridge.


“Mornin’. I noticed you had a little bit too much fun last night. How was the punch by the way?” Joie asked her mockingly.

Ally give a disgusted look, rolled her eyes, and continued drinking the milk from her cereal bowl.

Finished with the milk she said, “Yeah, kinda just glad not to have a headache this morning.”

“Well you are fine enough to hang out today, right?”

“No, seriously, I’m dying on the inside,” Ally said with a smirk.

“Oh, wow, too bad, cause you’re going to have to wait for help,” Joie smiled back.



After getting dressed and her hair tamed, she happily hopped in the car with her mom and Ally, and were finally on the way to Stagecoach.

“So what are you all getting into today?” Mom asked.

“No idea yet, just hang out I guess.” Joie answered.

“Yeah, Trey is never really that predictable,” Ally said from the back.

“Oh really,” mom flashed a concerned look.

“I’m sure nothing bad will happen, chill out lady!”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right but still be careful and Ally he does anything stupid, smack him,” She told Ally as she looked at her in the rear view mirror. Ally just smiled and I rolled my eyes.





To Be Continued Soon...