Take It Up With Somebody That Cares

Chapter 9: Vivian

I sat on the top of the playground swings for another half hour. I love this playground. It was my sanctuary. It reminded me of a time when life wasn't as chaotic.

I finally hopped down from the metal monkey bars, and started walking home. I heard my ringtone 'Rock N Roll' by Avril Lavigne.

I don't care about my makeup

I like it better with my jeans all ripped up

Don't know how to keep my mouth shut

You say-

"Hello?"

"Vivian? That you?"

"Liam? Where are you?"

"Let's just say, I know how it feels to have handcuffs on now."

"YOu got arrested! For what?"

"Marijuana possession. They caught me early this morning."

"What is wrong with you!"

"I thought you would feel sorry for me."

"Well I am sorry. Sorry that you don't know how to make better life choices! You should've known not to break the law after I got sent away!"

"Look, Vivian-"

"You know what? You've changed a lot. You're not the same guy I asked out in seventh grade."

"Vivian, are you-?"

"Don't call me back, Liam. Have fun in juvie!" I hung up. God! I can't believe that he would be so stupid!

He knew how bad juvie could be, but that didn't stop him! He should've known not to do something so stupid!

Whatever. His loss. He just won't be getting into college any time soon; or at all.

Wait a second. Liam's gone. I'm still not in best terms with Cierra. I don't really have any friends. Huh. I've never really realized this before.

It's late. I should be getting back.

I've re-memorized the walk home from pretty much everywhere in the town, and walked home without even thinking about the way. I rang the doorbell, and obviously, my brother answered the door.

"Don't you have anything better to do than to answer the door?" He shrugged.

"You own a car! And don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Nope!"

"Just do something! Ugh! It's depressing watching you open the door all the time!"

"Fine! God! I'll grab some lunch at the deli!" He walked to the kitchen table, probably to grab his phone. The doorbell ringed, and he started walking towards the door.

"Don't even think about it, Cade. I got it." I glared at him, and walked backwards towards the door. I opened it. It was Cierra.

"I have to tell you something." She looked me right in the eye. She was trembling. She seemed desperate. "It's important."

"Okay..." I unlocked the door and closed it behind me. I sat down on the porch swing, but moved over so she could sit down also.

"Miles..." She was forcing herself to tell me this. Her hands were shaking, her knees were wobbling. She was biting her lip.

"I was there the night that he died. We were on the roof. He was drunk. We started talking. He sat on the edge. We stood up, he tripped, and fell. I knew he was dead. I started hyperventilating, I couldn't breathe. All I could think about was getting outta there. I ran away. My memory is still hazy. I can't make out the minor details. It's all my fault!" She started crying.

I hugged her. "Cierra, it's not your fault. He was drunk. Who knows what else he could've done!"

"Are... Are you glad that he's gone?"

"Of course not. Even though I was mad at him for what he did, he shouldn't have died."

"But he's the one who got you into juvie."

"I went to juvie because I didn't have hard evidence that he did that. Juvie was hard, but I learned things about myself I didn't know before. I learned how strong I could be. I'm mad at him, but I wish he were alive."

"I do too. He liked me, though. I may have liked him back, but now I'll never know for sure."

"I'm sorry. But, I still never understood why he did it."

"Framed you?"

"Yeah."

"He was mad at you. Remember when you got me in trouble at the beginning of seventh grade?" I nodded.

"He saw that, and since he liked me, he got mad at you. He wanted you to be sorry." I stood up.

"Wait, you knew this? Did you know what he was going to do?" She didn't say anything. She started crying again.

"Wow, okay. So you did know! And you didn't do anything about it!"

"I was mad!"

"And when I was mad at you, I still hung around, and forgave you!"

"Vivian please-!"

"No. You have something to say, take it up with somebody that cares, because I don't!" My voice was stern. My eyes, glared into hers like they could freeze her twisted soul.

"Vivian, you don't under-!"

"No. Just... Just leave." I pointed down the street. She walked away, still crying. But I was crying also, so I didn't even care.