Breaking Boundaries (unordinary love story)

Chapter 16: Rise And Shine

My weekend was terrible. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I cried myself to bed, and I felt like throwing up every other minute. My eyes were so, so swollen, and I didn't feel anything other than pain.

A deep, scarring pain.

One that settled deep in my heart.

One that tore through me.

The only thing I had an appetite for was chocolate pudding, and dad had bought a lot more, so I ate loads of that. Loads and loads.

I couldn't roll out of bed on Monday morning. I also couldn't believe that I was the only one who actually cried over mom. Had people in this family really considered her an outsider just because she didn't visit often? While Mikey and dad cried, they didn't cry cry, where they were snot-filled and full on crying their eyes out. They just cried and were over it. And that really ticked me off. That really annoyed me.

Dad walked into my room that morning and I sat up under my sheets. He placed a tray of food on my lap.

"Breakfast in bed for my girl," said dad.

I yawned. "Why? It's not my birthday or anything."

"It's because I predicted you wouldn't get out of bed."

"That's because I'm the only one who cares about mom!" I almost yelled it.

"Shhh, Misty. Just try to eat, OK? You haven't eaten anything decent in days."

"Fine," I grumbled. "But you didn't have to do this special treatment."

"It's not a special treatment." He walked over to my curtains and yanked them open. Blinding sunshine swilled into my room. "Rise and shine."

The aroma wafting from my blueberry pancakes actually made me hungry. I took a bite and the deliciousness burst across my tongue. Mmmm.

"Thanks dad," I managed to say.

"You got it. Eat up. And you're going to school." Dad gave me a small smile and left.

Great. Going to school with swollen eyes. How pathetic. People will stare at me and bombard me with questions about why I was crying.

I forced myself to get up after finishing my breakfast. I splashed my face with water and got ready for school. Max and I were going to walk to school together. Dad had said it would "freshen us up" to have a walk and get some new air. So I did.

"How are you, sis?" asked Max as we descended the front steps from our house.

"Dumb question. I'd be stating the obvious if I answered that," I said.

"Oh, come on. Stop being such a crank."

Anger shot through me at those words. "That's easy for you to say. You don't care that mom died. No one does but me. So stop being so heartless."

"What makes you say that?"

"Everything? You don't cry."

"Maybe I don't, but I do feel very sad. I'm a sentimental person."

"As if you're not supposed to." I kicked a rock and tightened the strings on my hoodie.

"You're just in a mood, so I'll ignore you for now."

"Then ignore me."

We walked for a few minutes in silence. The only sound was our feet scraping the sidewalk, the wind rustling through the trees, and the occasional car zooming by.

"Please talk to me," Max finally said to break the silence.

"Fine," I answered.

"I just want to ask you something. What was up between you and Rick when I picked you up on Friday? There was something going on."

I sighed. "I'll tell you if you don't tell anyone else."

"I swear."

I was reluctant. "Promise? Not even dad. Especially not him, actually."

"Yeah. Cross my heart. Now spill."

"OK fine. So we kissed that day."

"He kissed you?"

"Something like that."

He was speechless for a second. "You're insane. Why?"

"I don't know," I shrugged.