16 and Ready to Mingle || twaimz

Chapter 46 (Rose)

I drive as fast as I can towards the mall where Issa is.
When I get there I quickly park near the front and get out, literally sprinting towards the entrance.
Issa's waiting for me near some cafè and I run into him, hugging him tight and crying.
"I missed you so much," I cry.
"I did too," Issa whispers. "Now please tell me what happened."
We sit down across from each other as I run my eyes with my sweatshirt sleeve. I'm wearing slippers, sweatpants and this dark blue sweatshirt with no makeup, so I don't look amazing.
I don't realize Issa is gone when he sits back down with a cup of tea in his hands.
"Here," he says, concerned, handing me over the cup.
I sip gratefully as Issa waits patiently, looking at me with such love it makes me want to cry again for leaving him.
I finish the tea and blurt out, "My best friend, Issa. She's dead. Her name was Ruby. She committed suicide because some idiotic boy broke up with her."
"Shhh," Issa coos as I burst out crying again.
"I slapped the boy in the face and yelled at him for making her kill herself, and he said--" I heave a heavy sigh--"he said that I'm a sick person for not noticing Ruby's death or not helping her because I didn't know that she was depressed and my other best friends Lottie and Amber ditched me and they hate me now and I have no friends. You're the only one I have left."
Issa watches me as I cry.
"You can finish high school early," he says. "Don't you have like, all AP classes?"
I nod.
"Well, then the school board will be more than happy to send you off to college if you apply for one now. It can be in California and we can live together."
I give Issa a sad smile.
"I don't know," I say quietly. "I might not have any friends there, but I still have a job and everything, and since my entire family is here with me, I can't just leave them and expect them to not notice me on their plane ride home."
Issa stammers, "B-but don't you have clothes?"
By the look on his face I can tell that he's thinking that what he just said was really stupid.
"Yes I do," I reply. "For all 4 seasons."
Issa smiles. "Then you can leave your family a note at the hotel they're staying at, and you can come over to my house and stay for a little while as I look for a proper apartment to have space to think this through."
I nod understandingly. "Then it's a plan."