Chasing Daylight

Chapter Twenty

American stories

Burning before meI'm feeling helplessThe damsels are depressed

-Taylor Swift

Maria

The next morning I woke up to my phone ringing loudly. When I went to look at the screen, I was surprised to find it was Sophie rather than an unknown number. I couldn't really decide if I should be relieved or not. I was no longer mad at Sophie, but I also wasn't planning on being buddy-buddy with her after the stunt she pulled. I couldn't trust that she would keep my secrets to herself.

"Hello?" I asked rubbing my eyes. Instead of replying, I heard sobbing coming from the other line. My instincts quickly took over blocking out any other feelings I had about the girl. I hated when people were upset and my first instinct was always to comfort and fix. 

"Hey, is everything okay?" I asked. "Do you need help?"

"Can I come over?" She sniffled.

"Yeah, of course. You can come over right now," I said getting up.

"Okay thanks," she said and hung up. I pulled on a sweatshirt and some shorts and a few minutes later Sophie was knocking on my door. I was surprised to find that Max was already gone, probably harassing Mason. I was glad he was gone because he definitely wouldn't have known how to handle the emotional storm that was going to roll through our apartment. Hell, I didn't even know what any of this was about yet.

"Hey," she said when I opened the door. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly. She was quiet for a moment before letting out a sob as she shook her head. I wrapped my arms around her tightly.

"My mom relapsed," she sobbed. "It's not going to go away this time, I just know it."

I squeezed her tightly feeling my heart sink to my stomach. I had to push down the memories flooding back of my own parents. I couldn't think about them right now. I couldn't let those emotions swallow me because Sophie needed someone to support her right now and she had chosen me. "I'm sorry, Sophie," I sighed rubbing her back as she leaned against me. 

"Why don't you sit down and I'll make you some tea," I said rubbing her arm. She nodded sitting down and wiping her eyes. I went into the kitchen and made us both mugs of tea before coming to sit back down.

"Thank you," she whispered taking the mug. "I know we aren't in the best place right now, so I'm sorry I'm here putting this on you."

"It's in the past Sophie. I know what it's like to have a parent with cancer and I would never put that on anyone. Kesem is for supporting your friends through anything and I'm going to be here for you through it all okay?"

"Okay, thank you," she nodded looking down at her mug. We sat in silence for a while and I rubbed her back gently. Some people needed to talk and rant about their problems and others just needed to know that another person was there and cared about them. Sophie seemed to need the second option. As we sat my phone started to ring again with an unknown number. I rolled my eyes ignoring the call. It proved to be a distraction that maybe she had been looking for when she called me.