My Mistake ⌲ River Phoenix

16; i still don't know who you are

After work today, Jo asked me to come to the Louvre with her and get some coffee. We sat down at a little cafe that overlooked the museum. She looked up at me.

"You and River a thing yet?" She asked nonchalantly. It felt too abrupt for what I thought was going to be a relaxing evening in Paris. I shook my head.

"I've got to stop with this. It's like I'm not myself anymore."

"Hon, just tell him you can't be with him," she spoke quickly - taking a sip of her hot chai latte.

"Easier said than done... and besides, it's not that I don't want to be with him. He's all I can think about. But I'm self-destructing. I know I'll just hurt him." We sat as it became windy outside.

"So, Olly's telling me he's gonna be the best man at your sister's wedding?" Jo laughed, probably trying to divert the conversation.

"I guess so, and he's got a date, too."

"I'm going with Bill, who are you going with? River?" I shook my head after she said that.

"The other day on the phone he called me and asked me to go with him."

"And...?"

"I said yes. But, as friends," I spoke quickly and Jo rolled her eyes. I looked over the city and watched as people entered the museum. However, suddenly my eyes caught a glimpse of something odd.

Two figures stood at the entrance of the Louvre, taking pictures and writing down stuff. They looked familiar... way too familiar.

"It can't be..." I muttered as Jo's eyes widened.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's my parents."

~

I ran up to them - my long, unkempt hair blowing behind me. Once I neared them, I tried to get a better look; they looked older, sadder, overworked.

"Mom, Dad?" I asked as they turned their gazes to me. Eyebrows were raised.

"Amoreena! We didn't know you were here!" They exclaimed and I scoffed.

"Well, how would you know? I haven't heard from you... only through a stupid postcard on my birthday every year," I spat contemptuously. They didn't deserve any type of human decency until I heard some sort of apology for abandoning their two daughters.

"You know we love you." I rolled my eyes.

"Then why couldn't you stick around?" They remained as stoic as possible.

"You know traveling is part of our job..." My Dad spoke - trying to take the blame off my Mom. He was a tall man - always proper and wealthy.

My parents had a lot of money. But, coincidentally, they took it all for themselves and their "travels" leaving me and Carmen to fend for our own. It was incredibly selfish.

I glanced over at Jo, who remained at the coffee shop watching the scene go down. My Mom moved her skinny fingers to her temple - looking more agitated than ever.

"How you have grown so much, my Amoreena," she spoke softly - her hands intertwining with my Dad's. Her dark blue eyes pierced at mine. She looked a lot like me, except her hair was short. My Dad didn't look like me at all. I often would joke about how he's not really my Dad. My Mom didn't like it though. By this time I think Jo started getting bored and proceeded to come over and introduce herself.

"Hey, my name is Jo," she said and my parents gave wooden smiles.

"So, I hear Carmen is getting married, we will be in town and you can show us your place," My Dad spoke with a more excited tone.

"Carmen would never invite you to her wedding."

"She did. I've got the invite to prove it," He recoiled with a hint of attitude. He then pulled out an invitation inside his little camera bag. It wrote:

THE WEDDING OF CARMEN AND ASHER Save the Date!

I couldn't believe it. Carmen hated them. It wasn't possible.

"It also says: for Richard and Emily: you both are allowed a plus one, must mean you've got someone to go with no?" I narrowed my eyes at him as my Mom and Jo went silent.

"No, I don't have anyone to go with - and I don't want to go with anyone," I spat back.

"I thought you were going with River," Jo said - obviously quickly regretting her decision. All eyes widened.

"River, the Phoenix kid?" my dad scoffed. I averted my eyes. "He's just gonna break your heart."

"Oh, not as much as you guys broke mine." It became silent after that.

"Get back, Honky Cat, better get back to the woods," My Mom sang eerily. Honky Cat by Elton John was the song she always sang me to sleep. Well, after I got bored of hearing her sing Amoreena over and over.

"We've got work to attend to, Amoreena, we will see you at the wedding next week," my Dad explained, his arm motioning my Mom over to the train station in the other direction.

Once they had disappeared from my field of view, Jo wrapped her arm around me. She looked sad.

"I'm sorry, Reens. I probably messed stuff up real bad for you," Jo sputtered. I turned to her.

"Of course not. You just solidified it, is all."

"Solidified what?"

"That my parents are evil." We both chuckled, then mutually decided to run around the Louvre like we were children in a magical place. It was a real stress reliever.

~

Night soon approached, and we headed home. As soon as I crashed on my bed though, the phone rang. Olivier decided to pick it up - as he probably knew I had a bad day. He cleared his throat.

"Âllo? Oh, River... have I told you how beautiful your voice sounds at this time at night..." Olivier flirted as I snatched the phone from him and gave him a snarky look.

"Hey, Rio."

"Hey, my lady, Amoreena," he laughed.

"What are you calling for so late at night?" I asked.

"Late? The night has just begun!"

"It's nice to hear you."

"Same to you, I wanted to ask... I feel like I still don't know who you are, can we make next week at Carmen's wedding a real date?" I feel my face go red and Olivier flashes me a huge cheeky smile. He always got a kick out of the way Rio made me feel.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I spoke back and then we said our goodbyes, as I was incredibly exhausted.