I watched Amelia as she hunched over a bucket of ice cream, her spoon diving deep into the creamy depths, and I cringed at the thought of the tantrums she'd thrown earlier. The screaming, the throwing thingsâmy thingsâinto the air, all because of the heartbreak she was now drowning in.
"Why do guys suck and play with your emotions?" she asked, her voice muffled by the ice cream. I shrugged, unsure of how to answer. I had experienced heartbreak before, more times than I could count, yet I still struggled to find the right reasons behind it. Maybe I was just a sucker for love, too.
Amelia looked at me with her tear-streaked face, the remnants of her black mascara smudged beneath her eyes, giving her the appearance of a raccoon. "I really thought he had feelings for me."
I knew that expectation was often the root of heartbreak. We set ourselves up, imagining what could be, only to crash down to reality. It wasn't fair to blame the other person; we put ourselves in that position.
"Why does it hurt so much?!" she wailed, punctuating her frustration with another spoonful of chocolate chip ice cream, as if each bite could chew away her pain.
I grabbed the bucket from her, setting it aside on my nightstand. "You need to stop being so dramatic," I said, hoping to break through the fog of her despair.
"I know it hurts right now, but we both know that pain will pass. Don't feed it with a bucket of ice cream! That's so unhealthy!" I added, watching as she blinked up at me, her eyes wide, still shimmering with tears.
She swallowed hard, the ice cream still hanging on her spoon. "I'm sorry. I just need it."
"I get that," I said, softening my tone. "I've been there, and it feels good in the moment, but you're just prolonging the pain by doing nothing." She nodded, slowly absorbing my words.
"I agree with you," she said quietly.
I believed what I said; indulging in junk food during a heartbreak offered temporary comfort, but it wouldn't heal anything. It just masked the hurt for a little while.
"Let's watch some comedy instead and eat something healthier," I suggested, extending my hand to help her up.
"How about we watch something romantic and order some pizza?" Amelia proposed, a glint of mischief lighting up her eyes.
I plastered on my serious face again. "Come on, one last junk food night!" she pleaded.
"Fine," I said, rolling my eyes, but I could feel a small smile creeping in. "Oh, and please wash that mascara off your face. You look ridiculous."
With that, she trudged into the bathroom, and I grabbed my phone from the nightstand to order pizza. I had a slight guilty pleasure about pizza night, especially since I'd told myself I'd start eating healthier. But really, who was I kidding? I could push that goal back until my mid-twenties.
As I made my way downstairs to return the ice cream to the fridge, I heard my mom call my name from upstairs.
"Hailey, come here!" she shouted. I rolled my eyes; I had barely sat down when she summoned me.
I walked into her room, where she was spinning around in a sleek black dress, smiling at me. "What do you think?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement.
"Did you seriously call me up here just to ask about that dress?" I replied, my skepticism evident.
"Yeah, so what do you think?" she repeated.
"It's fine," I replied, not particularly impressed.
"Great! I'm off then," she said, grabbing a clutch from her bed and gliding past me as she headed down the stairs. "Just order some dinner for you and Amelia, okay?"
I watched her fuss over her reflection, adjusting diamond earrings that shimmered in the light. She dug into her clutch and handed me a crisp hundred-dollar bill.
"Goodbye," she said, pecking me on the forehead before heading out the door. The echo of her footsteps faded as I turned back to the living room, where Amelia was just coming down the stairs, her phone in hand.
"Where's your mom?" she asked, peering at me with curiosity.
"You just missed her," I said. "She left for a date."
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Is it true what you said? About her dating someone new every night?"
I nodded, feeling a strange mix of pride and discomfort. "Yeah. I know it's not the best situation, but if she's happy, I guess I should be happy for her, right?"
As we settled into the living room, Amelia took the remote from me and started searching for movies on Netflix. I mulled over her words. If my mom found joy in her new relationships, maybe I should embrace that.
But why was I so conflicted? Was it because I couldn't move past my father's death? The thought of my mom finding a new partner felt like a betrayal, as if I'd lose the last remnants of my old family.
"You know," I began, almost unconsciously, "I sometimes miss what it feels like to have a complete family." The words came out before I could stop them.
Amelia set the remote down, turning her full attention to me. "I miss my dad too," she said quietly.
"Well," she continued, "remember when you told me to move on?" I nodded, my throat tight.
"Some people choose to move on, and some choose to stay. I'd rather stay than move on from something that means so much to me. Do you understand?"
I furrowed my brows, confused. "Are you saying it's selfish of me not to support my mom?"
"No," she replied thoughtfully. "But it's also not a yes. Only you can answer that question for yourself. Maybe she's just dating to fill a void or to not feel lonely. I don't know; she's not my mom. But why don't you ask her?"
"Why would I?" I snapped, feeling a surge of frustration. "I have no interest in knowing any of the guys she's dating."
"Suit yourself," she said, her tone more dismissive than I expected.
I turned to her, my expression softening. "But you know, I'm happy for you. You're making choices that reflect who you are, and I... I'm not there yet." I felt a pang of honesty as I spoke.
"Hailey, you may not know yourself well right now, but I promise if you explore more, you'll discover what's in store for you. You'll learn about yourself in ways you never imagined."
She took my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "And most of all, I'm grateful you're here for me. I'm lucky to have met someone as beautiful and kind as you. Thank you."
After we binge-watched two and a half movies and polished off the pizza, we decided to get some sleep, knowing we had to be up early for school. But when morning came, it was like a war zone against my alarms.
The sun streamed through the curtains, warming my face and prompting me to squint against the brightness. I rolled over, blinking at the alarm clock. The numbers read 7:01 AM.
Panic surged through me as I jolted up. "Get up! We're going to be late!" I yelled, shaking Amelia's shoulder.
She groaned, pulling the comforter over her head. "What time is it?" Her voice was groggy, far from the chipper tone of last night.
"Seven-oh-one!" I exclaimed, practically leaping out of bed. I slipped on my slippers and dashed for the bathroom.
Amelia threw the covers off, her hair a wild mess as she stumbled after me. "I'll use the bathroom downstairs. You can have mine!"
I took a quick shower, the water barely warming me before I was racing to get dressed. I hated being late; I'd do anything to avoid detention.
After getting ready, I rushed downstairs, hoping my mom had made breakfast. But as I looked around, I realized the kitchen was empty. "Oh no, my mom didn't cook us breakfast!" I muttered, annoyed. Did she forget?
I grabbed an apple from the counter and quickly grabbed my keys. "Amelia, come on!" I shouted as she rushed down the stairs, a banana in hand.
We hurried outside, and I locked the house behind us. Just as I reached my car, I noticed Amelia still standing on the front porch. "What are you doing?" I called.
She pointed to the street. "There's a car parked in front of your house."
I turned to look, my heart skipping a beat when I recognized the black sedan. Cayden emerged from the driver's seat, a huge smile on his face as he approached.
"Good morning, Jones," he said, his voice warm and friendly.
***
hello, it's been two or three weeks since my last chapter update but I hope you guys enjoyed reading today's updated chapter.
make sure you leave a vote, comment your thoughts and share this story with your friends. follow me on any of my social media accounts to get in touch with me or to be updated on when I post.
as always, carry on and happy reading!
-The Author