Imperfect | est. 2015

17. Comfort

Being woken up by an overly emotional subject wasn't something everyone wanted to start their day with.
But it was just what I needed.

I had my back turned to the front door, while I was just beginning to feel wide awake... but I didn't want to get out of bed just yet. I knew Connor would have something to say to me.

He sat beside me on the edge of the bed, while, sensing his presence, I knew Addison wasn't with him.

"I would get ready if I were you...," he sighs and hands me my own phone. I checked the time on the screen and it lit up in my face. It was 11:30.

"Get ready so for what?"

"You want answers?" He says, grabbing my attention. I rolled over, staring him in the eye. And he finishes his sentence, "I'd set up an appointment with Tyler."

"Appointment?" I say, sitting up on my hands.

"Twelve O'clock."

I chuckled, remembering 'twelve o'clock' as being our favorite time to set plans.

I lifted an eyebrow and didn't bother to smile, "And what should I be expected to hear?"

He sighs again, looking at my floor, "Just be prepared."

He stands, making his exit out stressed, and tousled his messy hair in his fingers on his way out the door.

For an innocent smart guy that I'd known for the longest time, he seemed to develop the characteristics of a typical good-looking guy on a popular list.

He could fit the bill if he simply said "hello" and lifted his eyebrow to a girl with half a shirt on in the high school hallway. He had the looks. And seemed to pull away from the interest in correcting my grammar and holding back my responsibilities... he was beginning to go with the flow.

Was it because of Addison? Or is this what it looked like to grow up?

I didn't know exactly what it was, but I liked it.

****

I stood in front of my mirror, eyeballing the strands of hair that fell from the messy bun I had pinned up.

My t-shirt was lightly colored and I wore a typical pair of converse. I had no reason to put on makeup. I had no interest in impressing a guy like Tyler.

He may had come across as a sweet guy from what I'd known... but I trusted Connor's word for it.

Just as I began to insanely process my guesses... I knew that Tyler couldn't have possibly done something as horrible as Connor and Addison made it sound.

Yes, he was a bit overly conceited for long enough... but Addison and Connor made it sound like he'd committed some sort of murder.

"Skylar!" Connor shouts from outside my door. He knocked repeatedly, "Hurry up, we're going to be late."

"Where is this going to be, again?"

There was a pause as he stopped hitting his knuckles on the door, "You'll see."

That's when I looked up again. I saw my reflection with wide eyes.

I knew where he was taking me.

****

I sat in the backseat, bouncing my knee in anxiousness. There was a twitch in the tips of my fingers while sweat was beading up on the back of my neck.

I didn't want to believe what I was supposing. He was taking me to that road. That treacherous road that I could never even picture clearly without tearing myself apart.