Road Trip to Love

chapter 11: finding out the truth

It's been 12 years since Eliza moved and 7 years since the worst day in my entire life. I never once cried over it. How could I? People would say I'm just a bitch for saying that, but I could care less. That day made me a lot stronger, and it also made me more cautious. It made me realize who my true friends are. If I don't have a life with any true friends, then I don't have a life at all. That life would suck butt.

Lexi was the only true friend I actually had, but I did have many other friends. My other friends weren't as good as Lexi though. We helped each other through tough times. One of those times was when Mason tried to win me back, and I almost caved into him but Lexi reminded me of what he did to me. That surely changed my mind. He will never persuade me ever again. Ever.

Luke helped me tons, but being a guy he didn't understand at all. He didn't understand why I would always want to talk about it. Even though he didn't understand, he was always there for me like a true brother. Jace was sometimes there, but he was more the physical support than the emotional support. By physical, I mean that he beat up Mason on many occasions without my permission. Sure, it was funny as hell to see him as a cripple, but he didn't have the right to do that 24/7.  There are sometimes when I wish that I had 2 older sisters instead of 2 older brothers. I could talk to them about my guy problems without getting weirded out. If I would ever try to talk to Jace or Luke about guys it would be very awkward for all of us.

As for Mason, I haven't seen him since we gratuated 4 years ago. I haven't tried to see him since Jace put him in the hospital on our graduation night 4 years ago. That night didn't end up so well. When he tried to talk to me, it seemed as though he had something very important to tell me......

==================================Flashback=====================================

"OMG, Sophia, we gratuated!!!"Lexi yelled excitedly over the croud of the gratuating class and their family.

I was going to answere her but before I could, Mason grabbed my wrist. Uhhhhh, what does he want?

"Sophia, I need to talk to you. It's very important," he told me very quickly.

"Ok, go on," I said to him very slowly.

"Really??" he asked surprised that I would willingly talk to him. Hey, everyone needs second chances.

"Yea," I said flatly.

"Ok, well, she told me-" he started saying, but I blinked and he was on the ground knocked out cold.

===============================End of Flashback===============================

Turns out Jace punched him square in the jaw, and he hit his head on the floor and got a concussion. He just didn't stop there. After that, he kept on kicking him and punching him until Luke and my dad had to peel Jace off of Mason. The ambulance was first called when Jace threw the first punch, so it was there in the matter of minutes. Jace was never arrested, but he did have to pay a fine and go to anger management classes. Jace wasn't so thrilled about the latter.

I tried to visit him. I really tried to, but I was always stopped. Whether it was by my brothers, the nurses, the doctors, or Mason's family I could never get in. I tried so many things to get in. One time I even dressed up as a nurse to try to talk to him, but I was caught anyway so my effort was for nothing. I never found out what he wanted to talk to me about. I blamed myself for not finding out. I blammed myself because if I didn't hold back into him telling me, then I would know what 'she' told him.

I knew it was about Eliza. I just knew it. There was no doubt about it. Who else could it be? It definitely couldn't be about Lexi. The only person he ever tried to talk to me about was Eliza. Each time he never finishes because he gets hurt. Jace's doing. What did he have to tell me that was so important.....?

Right now I'm enrolled iin the University of Chicago. Instead of my mom having a cow if I punched the wall to let out my anger, I started painting. They were always the same at first: red and blue objects splattered onto the canvas'. After a while they changed. Once in a while, the paintings would have people on them, but I never have paintings anymore with people on them. They're just abnormal objects of different colors. I know now that to make myself happy I need to paint. Not want, need to. My family supports me painting. Before 7 years ago, I wanted to be a thearapist. I couldn't be that because if I couldn't resolve my problems then how am I supposed to solve othere people's problems?! I had to have a thearapist for quite some time. I only had to have one for the first year, though. After that year was up, they said the sessions were no longer needed. I was extremely happy to be out of that scary place. It just gave me the creeps.

It wouldn't feel right if I left, and Lexi went somewhere else, so we both got enrolled into the same school. Her, to become a teacher, and me an artist. She may not seen the teacher type, but she loves kids and kids love her. It's a perfect combo. Since neither of us wanted to be stuck in a dorm with horny guys watching our every move, we convinced our parents getting an apartment together. We can be very convincing when we want to be. We just choose not to be most of the time.

I was thinking about my life in the past 7 years when Lexi came home. She walked in......with Mason!!!!! Why the hell is Mason with her?!?! So many thoughts are going through my mind right now.

"Lexi, why is he here?" I asked her as calm as I could. Yea, Mason could see right through me. He always could.

"Sophia, all I want to do is tell you what I didn't finish 4 years ago," he told me talking for Lexi.

"OK," I said after a minute or two.

"First of all, I'm very sorry for what happened 7 years ago. It never should have happened, and I regreted it as soon as I knew what was happening," he told me.

"Go on," was all I said.

"When I was in the hospital 4 years ago, I really wanted to tell you what I'm about to tell you, but the doctors said if you come, then Jace would too and that wouldn't be good for my 'health,' " he told me.

What were going to tell me that night?" I asked Mason after he was done talking.

"She told me to tell you that.....that she wants to make amends with you. She's shut evryone off from her life. She used to be a hard-core party animal and now it's like she's dead. You saw how she was 7 years ago. Gothic. Now she's all prissy. She hasn't seen or spoken to her parents in 2 years. She doesn't have any friends at all. You now forgiving her is killing her. Literally. She attempted suicide 3 times, but failed all 3 times," he said to me.

The only thing I actually heard was ' you not forgiving her is literally killing her.' How could Eliza do that to herself?! I wouldn't forgive myself if she died because I wouldn't forgive her. Wait, in that letter....

"She said to forgive her before she dies," I said merely to myself.

Mason just shook his head. I had to tell him that he was forgiven. I forgave him in my mind for some time now, but I never told Mason that. I need to do that.

"Mason, I never told you, but you are forgiven," I wispered to him.

"Sophia, I knew that. You never could stay mad at me forever," he told me laughing.

I then smiled for a second and then said: "I need time to think. I need to think about the Eliza situation. I don't know what to do right now. I just need to think. All I need is 48 hours. That's the max. Mason, stay here for the time being," I told them with a seriousness in my tone of voice.

"Ok, let me go back to my place and grab some things. See you soon," he said as he walked out the door.

It was not long after he left when Lexi spoke.

"Sophia, I honestly think tat it's a good idea to go and see her. You,  yourself even said in the letter, she said for you to forgive her before she dies. I think you should take her up on that before it comes true," Lexi told me. I know her and Mason are right about making amends before she dies, but I have to think about the pros and cons of going to go and see her. Lexi knew I needed time to think, so she didn't say anything else. At a time like this, I needed to paint and that's exactly what I did.