promises.

21

*Riley*

I shouldn't have just gotten up and walked away like I did, but I had no choice, I wasn't going to worry my mom and wait for him to wake up.

He'll probably be so pissed at me.

Great job, Riley. Great job.

I sighed as my mom came knocking on my bedroom door.

"Yes?" I asked, waiting for her to come in and tell me some bullshit I didn't want to hear.

She walked in the door，her blonde hair was cut just below the shoulders and she wore a baby blue turtle neck and black jeans. My mom was awfully pretty, I'm surprised she didn't have a man.

I unplugged my headphones as she walked in.

"I just wanted to say I'm happy you're here." She told me, sitting at the edge of my bed.

It would be better if Oliver were here too. You would love him mom.

"Me too." I told her, stretching my arms above my head.

"You still have that thing in?" She asked me, pointing at my eyebrow piercing.

"Yep." Was all I answered with.

"Are you okay? You seem a bit，bothered." My mom said to me.

Well yeah, you're kinda just barging yourself in here when I didn't even remember I was coming here in the first place, my Christmas back at my grandparent's will be horrible because Oliver is pissed off at me and that's all I want, is him. I feel so frustrated, angry, upset, depressed, worthless right now, so please leave me alone.

"I'm fine." I told her, faking a smile.

"Okay good. So have you met a girl yet?" She asked me, quizzically.

That's the thing about adults, they automatically assume that boys love girls and girls love boys. No one has ever asked me "how's your boyfriend?" Or "hey, Riley, have you met a boy yet?" It's always girls girls girls.

"I don't have a girlfriend, mom." I told her, rolling my eyes.

"Come on man, what are you waiting for? Don't you want to fall in love ? Don't you want someone who can make you feel weightless?" My mom asked me.

"I am in love okay." I told her, truthfully.

I noticed myself start to heat up.

"But you just told me you don't have a girlfriend." She said，sternly.

"Yeah, you know what mom, I'm in love with a guy okay. Maybe I'm not strai-"

She cut me off.

"Get out." She said, pointing to the door.

"What?" I asked, a tear rolling down my cheek.

"I never want to see you again." She said to me, removing my bag from the floor and out into the hallway. I followed behind it，pulling my shoes on and slamming the door.

I pulled my phone out and dialed a cab to take me to Buffalo which I could catch a separate cab to New York City.

This was going to be a long night.

I sighed before getting into the backseat of the cab and glancing out at the snow. On Christmas Eve，it was actually quite beautiful. I saw many kids building snow people, making snow angels and having snowball fights. I saw some sledding and a whole group of boys playing ice hockey.

Ah, what it would be like to skate again. I haven't done it in years.

I put my headphones in my ears before drifting asleep.