2 heartbroken teens

21

I skate far away from mom's house and, unconsciously, I end up at the abandoned mall. Well, there's no better place at the moment that I rather be. In fact, the sun is coming down, so the fact that soon will be dark gives me the needed chills to chill out. I'm still very angry and I just want to throw the skate away. And that's what I do. I literally throw my dearest object over the stairs and the heavy sound it makes when it touches the ground makes me guess I broke it.  

I sit on the first step at the top and I run my fingers through the hair with anger. Breath in, breath out, Vinnie. My right leg taps anxiously the cement repeatedly.

"Fucking..." I mutter, and I grunt.

What most pisses me off is that something has always to happen when my life is getting better: I'm having a healthy relationship with Riley and then, boom, I found out she was cheating on me. Lately I'm starting to recover from the breakup and my brother appears in town. Fuck life.

Speaking of Riley, she's the only one I've ever told about my family situation. None of the boys knows about it. The anger is starting to relieve, but there's something in me that is in the need to vent and talk about what just happened. I can't call Summer, there's so much I would have to tell her. Plus, besides we're pretty comfortable right now, this is a very personal topic for me and I believe she doesn't have to know for now. 

Seconds later I'm calling Riley. I hope we can bury the hatchet at least for today.

"Vinnie?" Hearing her voice through the speaker makes me feel kinda strange. It's been so long since we last spoke through the phone, but anyways I don't feel the same like when we were together. Literally she turned off my love for her like switching the lights.

I clear my throat before answering.

"Can you come? I-I just saw Kaleb."

"What?, I mean, yeah I can..., but are you okay?" She's as surprised as I imagined.

"Kinda. I'll send my location."

"Alright."

Fifteen minutes later I hear the engine of a car stopping near me. I can only guess it's Riley that she's already here. 

I'm at the stairs, I text her. Again, it's been a life since I didn't send her a message.

I hear Riley's steps coming closer until she reaches me and sits next to me, but with two palms of distance.

At first any of us says a word. We stay quite for like two minutes until she asks:

"Where did you see your brother..., I mean, Kaleb." Yes, she knows I don't like to call him my brother.

"My mother called, so I went to her house. And then he appeared." I'm more calmed than before. Also, I talk hesitantly as the last two times I came across with Riley we just argued.

Riley puts her hand on her knees like me and sighs.

"That's fucked." 

"We fought." I say seconds later. She looks at me. "He's okay, unfortunately. Mum stepped in." I say then. She might thought I lost my nerves and sent him to the hospital or worse. He deserved it, though.

"So, he's at your mother's house now?" She asks slowly. 

"Probably." I clench my teeth at that thought. How is that mum lets him stay inside the house after what he did? 

"Well, I don't know what to say Vinnie, it's a very complicated situation."

"No way." I answer sarcastically.

"Firstly, I was impressed when you called me. I thought you misclicked trying to call that other girl."

"What?" I'm shocked. Why this sudden change of subject?

"You know, your new friend." She says with disdain.

"Are you really gonna be that toxic right now?" I shout, and I look at her for the first time since she came. She can't be serious. 

"It'll be stupid wanting you to get mad when you're about to explode like a bomb."

"Good."

"About Kaleb..."

Even if she was trying to help me, I don't feel like talking with her anymore. I can't act like she didn't say that comment about Summer.

"Go." I avoid eye contact.

"What?" She's shocked. I don't care.

"You heard me. Go away. It was a mistake calling you."

"Don't be dramatic." She scoffs.

"Don't you be dramatic. Summer has nothing to do with my family issue." I raise my voice again.

"Oh, so she has a name." 

"Are you really fucking serious?"

This cliché jealousy is the last fucking straw. And I'm not in the mood for that.

"Here we are, arguing again. I can't believe we had a healthy relationship back then."

I'm starting to believe that she likes to provoke. 

"Do you want me to remember you why we broke up?" 

"Don't exaggerate." She stands up.

"Finally you're leaving."

"You were right, I shouldn't have come. Good luck with your brother." She says while walking away. That was purposely mean. But I don't want to yell more. Fuck her, I can handle my shit by myself.