Whispers Among The Magnolias

Eleven

The rest of the Saturday was filled with idle chatter that only half of my brain could focus on.

Sunday came and went, and I rearranged my room and reviewed my class schedule for the next day.

I tried my hardest to drop all my questions and I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me how secretive everyone was being.

I tried to picture myself in their shoes. If a new girl spent the weekend with me and Aisha I doubt I'd tell her everything about us, especially if Aisha asked me to keep a promise. On the other hand, though I know their tension doesn't have any connection to me, and truthfully it isn't my business. The fact of not knowing what it is seems like it leads to a lot of unintentional mistakes. I'd hate to cause a rift like inviting Rose over without telling Hunter did.

We had barely said ten words to each other the rest of the weekend and it felt like he was holding a grudge over something I was completely unaware of.

I tried to put the weekend behind me and chalk it up to my being overly inquisitive about the people around me as I was getting ready for my first day of school, though my phone kept buzzing relentlessly distracting me from my routine. I turned the screen over pausing the process of doing my hair to see it was my mom. I've been dodging her calls since I got here and hoped ignoring her would cause her to back off and catch the hint that I didn't want to talk, but she's more persistent than ever.

I held the phone in my hand watching it ring and ring, before my thumb slid across the screen without my permission like muscle memory.

"Hello," I said a bit hesitant.

"Magnolia?" My mom asked from the other end the sounds of the city a symphony of noise in the background.

"Yeah Mom it's me," I said and she was silent for a long moment.

"What time is it there?" She asked.

I watched my mouth move in the reflection of the mirror, watched my face contort and my facial expression change though none of it felt like me.

"It's eight in the morning here, what time is it in Paris?" That was all I said.

I could hear the last conversation we had on repeat in my mind, like a mocking alarm, a constant reminder of their abandonment.

A month ago to this day, there was a pit deep in my stomach. I felt sick with every step I made and it felt as though I was watching my body from far away.

I sat down at our kitchen island, and my Dad scrolled on his work laptop as if this was a morning meeting to get rid of. My mom was surrounded by suitcases with a blank expression on her face.

I knew they had fought the night before, she always wore sweaters to cover it.

She pulled on her sleeves and avoided eye contact.

"Your mother has decided to leave us Magnolia," My dad said at the same time my mother said, "Your Father and I have decided to separate."

They both glanced at each other for a moment.

For that moment it was only them in the room, the product of the love they once shared was shriveled on the other side of them, the words caught in her throat.

My dad spoke again, ever the commanding voice in the room, "Your mother is going to shrink away to that piss-riddled city she loves."

I looked at my mom and she turned from my gaze, "I gave my friend Addy a call, you can live with her and her son for your senior year."