Rendezvous

fourteen | patricia

Part I - Patricia

November 5

I had just finished my last class of the day and was gathering my belongings into my satchel bag.

As I walked off the campus of my institution, I checked the time on my phone.

6:03 p.m.

I was scrolling through my notifications when my attention was drawn to seven missed calls from Chuck. My chest tightened with fear, as my mind raced through the worst-case scenario.

I called back right away, and after the fourth ring, she finally picked up.

Chuck says over the phone, "Heeeey."

"Hey, what's going on?" I inquired, and her laid-back demeanor soothed me.

"I'm on the toilet."

"You called seven times to tell me you're on the toilet?" My patience is wearing thin as I inquire.

"I wanted to keep you posted."

"You scared the shi—"

"Sorry, I thought you'd like to know," Chuck interrupts with a chuckle. "No I actually called for something."

I roll my eyes sighing, "What's up?" I ask as I climbed into my car.

"It's Lana."

"What about her?"

"We had lunch with our parents earlier," Chuck says. "You can guess how that went"

It was pretty self-explanatory

"Shit. What happened?"

"My mother," Chuck took a deep breath and exhaled deeply. "She just—she just doesn't know when to stop, you know? Like she purposely presses Lana's buttons, and you know Lana never lets anything slide."

Despite her best efforts, Lana's relationship with her mother was never stable. Patricia would pick battles with her all the time, preferring Chuck and Charlie to her. Patricia never showed Lana the motherly love she deserved as a child, and every time Lana tries to start a new chapter, Patricia burns the book.

"Mom would always pester her, but today we were all taken aback," Chuck pauses. "I've never seen Lana this hurt my life"

"Even dad stood up for her for once," Chuck scoffed. "Charlie went after her but she drove off."

"To her apartment?" I inquire instantly, anxious.

"She hasn't been responding to any of our calls and texts, I called her landlord, she got there five minutes ago."

thank god

"I don't think she wants to see us, and you're the only person I can think of who Lana would genuinely listen to for some reason, but if you're busy and—" Chuck rambles.

"I'll go," I interrupt her rambling.

"Are you sure?" She inquires, a bit hesitantly.

I assure her, "Yeah, of course."

"Thanks, I owe you one."

"It's no problem, I promise."

"Cool. Call me okay?"