Thursday (Sequel to 'From Eden')

eight

I swallowed, nodding at Angela weakly. After a moment of thought, I placed my head in my hands and waited for her to walk away, but she didn't. Instead, she plopped right down across from Brooke and I, and we both looked up at her with suspicious expressions. I glanced over at her boyfriend and saw him throw a hand up in the air at her sudden absence.

"Look, I'm partially just looking for a reason to get the fuck away from that man for a second...he's driving me crazy already," Angela spoke softly, cracking a mischievous smile. "But, y'all forget people know y'all!"

I furrowed my eyebrows and said, "Huh?"

"Remember when I noticed you were from that TV show?" Angela rolled her eyes, as if it were obvious. Brooke's eyebrows raised and she turned to me curiously. "Well, I remember y'all Hylands. You guys were lowkey tough as nails...I wouldn't have taken shit from that ogre Abby."

Brooke and I both snickered at the comment, and I thought maybe Angela wasn't as bad as I thought. I guess I never really made an effort to talk to her. As much as she was right about the Hyland endurance, I waited for her to go on, confused about the point she was trying to make.

"And I remember Chloe and you," she said. There it was. "You guys were cute as fuck. I could tell you both had real love in your hearts for each other, or whatever. So maybe she's being a piece of shit right now, but you guys have been through such a unique situation. Y'all are trauma bonded. I wouldn't give up on her just yet. Plus, knowing what she acted like on that show" --Angela wiped a fake tear from under her eye and I cringed-- "she probably feels bad as fuck right now."

I took a deep breath, feeling tears accumulating in my eyes once again. I looked down at the table with folded hands and clenched teeth, my thoughts racing. Ultimately, Angela was right. Memories of Chloe and me as kids bubbled around my brain...going for ice cream together, sharing the stage together, sitting through Abby's screaming and our mothers' arguments...

I jumped when Brooke placed a delicate hand on my shoulder, and at her touch, I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I wiped at it quickly and finally felt myself start to melt inside. The cage around my heart was thawing out, finally, at Angela's words, of all people. I met the other girl's eyes, which seemed cold and honest. "Thank you, I'll..." my voice broke and I sniffed. "I'll call her. It might...t-take me a second, but I'll call her. Thank you."

Angela only flashed a quick smile before getting up and joining her boyfriend at another table. Brooke made a comment about how strange that was, but I barely heard her. My thoughts wouldn't stop racing about what the both of them had said. Chloe probably did love me. Suddenly I couldn't get the image of her dark eyes out of my head, full of life and passion before we had kissed in July. Unless she was an amazing actor, you couldn't fake that expression.

Another persistant part of me still doubted her. Why would you ever cheat on someone you loved? I know we weren't officially together at the time, but that was even worse because she was with the other girl. Side piece! My brain screamed, and I bit the inside of my lip hard. 

"Think I need to lay down," I admitted to Brooke, feeling a headache coming on with the complicated thoughts. I mumbled, "Thank you so much for coming to see me, sissy. I love you so much."

"I love you, Paigey," My kind, beautiful sister smiled, taking a strand of my long hair between her fingers. "Remember, you don't have to have all of this figured out right away. Just take some time to think, okay? I promise you'll be okay, whatever you decide to do. And I'll be here to talk to, too."

I gave Brooke one final standing hug before she left, and I bounced up to my room immediately, utterly exhausted from the conversation. I had so much to think about.