Chapter 30: Decisions.

Chapter 30: Decisions.

"Hey Vee, wait up." Zachary calls out for me as I put my bag in the trunk of the car.

"What do you want?" I ask him, folding my arms.

"That girl meant nothing to me. I spilled my drink on her and she didn't have a spare shirt, so I had to give her mine." He explains.

"But I didn't ask you anything though." I point out.

"Well, I know you saw us." He says.

"Look, I don't want to fight with you right now. I just want to go home and sleep on my bed." I tell him, thinking of my soft queen-sized bed.

"It's just that after I saw you kiss Devon my judgment was clouded and I-" He says trying to explain but I cut him off.

"You acted like a fucking douchebag and you punched him in the face, right? You see Zachary if you would have just waited a little longer you would have seen that I pushed Devon away. I couldn't bring myself to kiss someone else after we made out some minutes before that. I'm not that kind of person, but I see that clearly, you are." I tell him as I turn to enter the car. I expect him to stop me but he doesn't. And that breaks my heart even more. I get inside the car and Andrè drives off.

I sleep the entire drive home and Andrè wakes me up when we arrive. I walk into my house and I see that my parents are having a little function in the living room. I slowly sneak my way upstairs and I hide in the comfort of my bedroom. If my parents found out that I was back home, they'd want me to mingle with the sons of their buddies and I don't have the stomach for that right now.

I flop on my bed and I see my phone sitting beside my pillow. I pick it up and I check my messages. I have three from Zachary and four calls.

Stalker alert.

Someone knocks on my door and I internally groan. Good thing I'm going to college soon.

"Come in." I yell.

My mother enters my room with a smile on her face.

"What is it this time, mother?" I ask her.

"I have great news for you, Valarie." She tells me before she sits beside me on the bed.

"Just tell me." I say, rolling my eyes.

"You got into Harvard." She says waiting for my reaction but it never comes. What does she mean by Harvard?

I didn't even apply.

"I don't understand." I say, tying my hair up.

"Well, your father and I sent an application in your name and we-" She tries to continue but I cut her off.

"You what? Why do you want to control everything in my life? I'm fine. Happy even. I don't ask for much, do I? All I ask for is privacy, why won't you give me that?" I ask her with tears in my eyes.

"Because I don't want you to end up like me. That's why." My mother yells.

"Like you? Mother, what are you talking about?" I ask her in confusion.

"You see, I wasn't the smartest kid growing up or the richest. But your father liked me and he made sure that I went to college because his mother wouldn't let me be with him if I didn't. Well, I went to college. I got an education. I didn't want to, but I did it for love. And you're doing the same thing too."

"Who says I'm doing the same thing?" I ask her, folding my arms.

"I know you're going to Bradford because of Zachary and that's not healthy. You need a fresh start. Away from this town and its antics." She tells me, patting my hair down.

"And I'm going to have that fresh start at Bradford. I mean, yeah I was going to Bradford because of Zachary but we're no longer together. We never were apparently. I'm going to Bradford because they have a great Journalism program." I tell her.

"Well, would you like to come downstairs and say Hi to the guests?" She asks me.

"I'll pass. Remember what happened the last time." I tell her, raising my eyebrow.

The last time my mother made me say "Hi to the guests downstairs" I met this British boy named Jared Lanny. He was sweet and charming at first. I even had dinner at his house twice. It all came crashing down when we went out on a date and he tried to roofie me, thankfully my best friend at the time Alicia was there to save me.

Never again.

"Okay then. I'll leave you to it." She says before she leaves my room.

My phone rings and I see Zachary's face on the screen. I slowly pick up the phone before I press answer.

"Look out your window." He tells me.

"No." I tell him.

"Just look." He pesters on.

I look outside my room window and I see the words "Yellow is for friendship." spelled out with yellow flowers on the grass by my window.

I smile at the sight.

"You better clean that up before my mother sees." I tell him with a smile on my face.

"Can I take you out tonight?" He asks me.

"To what end, Zachary?" I ask him.

"I want to be with you." He tells me.

"It's too late for that now." I reply.

"Wait Vee, just hear me out." He begs.

"I'm really busy right now, I'll see you whenever." I tell him before I hang up.

Hope those flowers are gone by morning, can't have my mother asking me stupid questions.

***

You know how I hoped the flowers would be gone by morning, well they weren't.

"Who sent those, Valarie." My mother asks again.

"For the millionth time, I said I don't know." I tell her.

"You're lying to me." She says, raising her voice.

"No, I'm leaving." I tell her before I walk away.

I hear her call out for me as I walk out the front door. I just want to leave and never come back. No parents. No Zachary. No fake friends. Just me and my thoughts.

I call up Adam and he answers on the first ring.

"What's popping, Spaghetti Stacey." He says as I bring the phone to my ear.

"Can we go to Galloway Hills?" I ask him.

"Sure, but do you think Andrè would drive that far? It's a two-hour drive to and fro." He tells me.

"No, Andrè isn't driving us. You are." I tell him and he laughs.

"No way. My truck will not touch those grounds." He says.

"Oh, just shut up. I'll be at your house in five minutes. And text Hannah too." I tell him.

***

"I can't believe that in less than two months we'll be surrounded by totally different people." Hannah says, resting her head on Adam's shoulders.

We're currently at the back of Adam's truck that's parked at the top of Galloway Hills. Adam is sitting in between Hannah and me.

"And I'll be balls deep in some Yale freshman." Adam adds, putting his hands behind his head and I smack his arm.

"Eww." I say, giving him a disgusted look.

"I just hope Chad and I make it past the three-month mark of long-distance relationships." Hannah says letting out a sigh.

"You guys will make it, I'm sure of it." I say trying to encourage her.

"Cut him off." Adam whispers to Hannah.

"Don't listen to him." I tell Hannah

"You're one to talk." Adam says, laughing.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask him, folding my arms.

"Well, one, you're going to college with the boy you like. That doesn't happen to everyone. You're the exception, not the rule." Adam tells me.

"Well, I don't even know if I'm going to Bradford anymore." I tell them as I bring my knees closer to my chest, hugging my legs.

"Why? What happened?" Hannah asks me.

"I got into Harvard." I tell them.

"That's great. Congratulations." Hannah says, smiling at me.

"You didn't even apply." Adam says, looking confused.

"My mother applied pretending to be me." I tell him.

"That's something." Adam says, chuckling.

"Harvard is your dream, Vee." Hannah tells me.

"I know. But Bradford has this great Journalism program. I just can't pass that up." I tell her.

"I feel like this 'Journalism program' is just a code word for I can't live without Zachary." Adam says, mimicking my voice

"No, it's not. And I don't sound like that." I say, nudging his side.

"Then go to Harvard. Take risks, live a little. You deserve this fresh start, Vee. Away from blue-eyed teenage boys." Adam says, patting my head.

"I guess you're right." I say, picking at the hem of my sweater.

"Look at us, living, making decisions we can't go back on. I've never felt more alive." Adam says, flexing his biceps.

"Calm down, Johnny Bravo." Hannah tells him.

"Shut up, Peppa Pig." He tells her and I snort.

"I hate the two of you." She tells us with a scowl.

"Well fellas, it's been good but the mosquitos out here aren't agreeing with my shorts, so let's scram." Adam says as he jumps down from the truck.

Hannah and I get down after him and we get inside the car. Hannah rides shotgun and I sit in the backseat.

"Let's play some Radiohead." Hannah suggests as she tries to plug the aux cord into her phone.

"Over my dead body." Adam gasps, taking the cord from her hand.

"Now, what's wrong with Radiohead?" Hannah asks him, offended.

I block them out as I put my headphones in.

I'm going to miss these two.