Crystal Clear

Chapter Eighteen

GABBY

It's been since two days since the party. According to Joe, Tommy and Dee—I kissed Moe. I need a little time off from him, I think.

Dee and I sit on my bed, talking about all the shit that's been going on lately. We can't really wrap our heads around it.

"Yeah, well, I dunno...he's like Tony,"

"No, sweetie. Tony...Tony's done. D-O-N-E. He lost the one girl who thought that nothing was wrong with him. He was just plain old wrong for you, girl,"

"Just because he was wrong for me doesn't change my feelings for him," Dee nods, agreeing with my logic.

When I go back to New Jersey at the end of summer, I'm going to be grounded for at least a month. My dad called my mom two nights ago, in the middle of the night no less, when I didn't come home until around four in the morning. He told my mom everything that happened. So now when I go back I'm going to be in some major trouble. Thanks, dad.

"Well, just one question Crystal. Who is your heart beating for?" I just shrug, at this point I don't know.

"I just feel like I made a mistake."
"You didn't make any mistake and you've got no regrets because no matter how much you try to deny it, you wanted to date Tony at that time. And hun, you don't make as bad mistakes as I do. You just...date them," I smile, Dee always knows how to make me feel better.

All I need right now is to go out and shop. And so Dee calls Joe to come and pick us up. I'm not speaking to my dad since he betrayed my trust and went and told my mom, so when we go downstairs, I walk right past him.

At this point, I don't know. It's not that I don't like Mauricio. Quite the opposite. I just don't know if I'm ready to commit to him, I don't want it to escalate if I'm just going to have to move back at the end of the summer. I already have enough commitments up in Jersey, it's not like I can uproot my life to here.

We leave my house, Matty's at his friend's house so I don't have to worry about him being left with my father who's been a wreck since his mom died, and get in Joe's car. We drive to Salisbury and shop around, though there's not much selection compared to up north. It was all a lot of fun. Once we get back home, the day is almost over. Joe picks up Matty and he drops him off with us at my house. Dee wants to go out for some more "fun" with Joe.

On the answering machine there are five new voicemails from my mom, all saying that I "just have to" call her back. Moe left me a voicemail as well, asking to hangout. And... and surprisingly, Tony left me one as well. But it's all bullshit, whatever Tony says. I clicked delete on his and then dialed Moe's number.