I looked up at the sky; it was a cloudless blue, with no hint of rain in it. I sighed and tried to focus on the homework sitting on my lap. I'd been distracted all day, considering the fact that Justin hadn't been in school all week. Ed had been up at the hospital with his mom, so it was understandable.
Less than a few weeks ago, Justin's mom had been driving home from work, taking her usual route. When she made the turn at the light that would take her home, a truck had come speeding by and hit her from the driver's side. Her car then managed to spin out and flip twice before coming to a complete stop.
After she was rushed to the hospital, Justin had called me practically on the verge of tears. His mom was the only family he had left. His dad had left him when he was 4 because he was afraid of commitment. His dad never called or tried to see him again. So to him he didn't have a dad.
His mom was practically my second mom, considering I'd known her since I was 7, which was also when I met Justin. I was now 17, a senior in high school. My dad died when I was 5, in a tornado accident. The memory still haunts me even though I wasn't old enough to actually know what was happening. I knew something had been wrong. My mom never really got over it, she went into a state of depression for a year after it happened, but slowly she came out of it. She's never been the same, but she's still my mom.
"Lilly!" Mary Anne called breaking me from my thoughts.
Mary Anne was my best friend; I'd known her since I was 10. Three years after I met Justin. She was a great person to talk to other than the fact that she spoke her mind. She had long brown hair that went to the middle of her back and she had the brightest green eyes I had ever seen. She was skinny, but she wasn't too skinny.
"Hmmm?" I asked, frowning at her.
"Oh my gosh! Logan just asked me to the prom!" She squealed.
"And you're surprised? You've been dating him for 2 years!" I laughed looking at her.
"So? Still doesn't mean he was going to ask me to the prom."
"Oh come on! The guy loves you!"
"I know; I know." She smiled.
I rolled my eyes at her and continued working on my Math homework, even though I wasn't really in the mood for doing homework right now.
"What about you?" Mary Anne asked. "What about me?"
"Are you and Justin going to the prom?"
"First of all, Justin and I are NOT a couple. So quit trying to make it happen." I told her.
"Aw! Come on! Have you not seen the way he looks at you?"
"He doesn't like me that way, Mary Anne. As much as I want him to, he doesn't feel the same way as I feel about him."
"How do you know? Have you asked him?"
"Well no-"
"Then don't say things you can't prove."
I scowled. "I hate it when you do that."
"Aw come on! You know you love me."
"Whatever." I said, rolling my eyes.
"You know, it's true."
She nudged me and then continued her rant about what dress she was going to pick out for prom.
I, however, kept my thoughts on Justin. The fact that he hadn't called me in days, hurt. I knew he had a good reason for it. But the fact that I didn't get to hear his voice, or see him, really hurt.
Hopefully that would all change soon. Hopefully everything was going good with his mom.
I sighed and looked at Mary Anne. "Look, we'll talk later, okay."
"Okay." she said, sighing.
I watched her walk off into the distance and then disappear from sight.
I sighed. I needed to talk to him. I needed to know that everything was okay. I needed to know that he was okay. And I need to know that now.
"Hello?" His voice asked from the other end of the line.
"Hey... it's me." I said gently.
He sighed and yawned. "Hey Lil."
"How's everything going?"
"Same. Nothing's changed." He said quietly, but the pain in his voice was evident.
"Don't stress it. She's going to make it. Trust me." I told him, trying to make him feel better.
"Yeah, I hope you're right, Lil." He said, sighing.
"I will be."
"You sound so sure of yourself. I don't think that I even have that kind of strength right now."
"You're hurting right now, Justin."
"I just need her to be okay."
"And she will be. She's not going to leave you. Don't give up on her."
He laughed gently and I heard him messing something in the background. "Can you change the subject, please."
I smiles and went on to tell him about how Mary Anne was practically overjoyed when Logan asked her to the prom.
After a while I heard his breathing turn into a steady rhythm, indicating that he was falling asleep. So I continued talking to him, hoping to comfort him any way possible.
