The Summer Everything Turned Ugly

Chapter 4

I know I'll do anything within my reach to get you back, but how can I do that when you're not even mine?

Why won't he give me a chance? It's all I've been asking for.

Great. Now I sound like a desperate hoe.

I take a quick peek at the clock.

5:27.

Three minutes before my alarm goes off.

Only a few hours to go before we head to Dad's place far, far away to Florida and forget about this mess.

Mom's coming with me and she'll be spending a few nights there too.

She's been bugging me to call Eli since last night; she says I'd regret it if I don't.

So far, I'm not regretting anything.

Maybe I'll even make new friends in Florida.

I push myself off the bed and turn off my alarm clock a minute before it goes off.

I check my bags in case I've forgotten to bring anything.

I'll be staying there for the whole summer. I might as well bring my room with me.

I check my phone and see that Megan had called me, but I didn't have voicemail.

I'll try calling her back later.

Right now, I need my breakfast.

I rush down the flight of stairs as fast as I can.

I've always been a morning person, the exact same opposite of my mom.
I guess I got it from Dad.

I make myself a bowl of oatmeal. I don't know why, but I'm completely addicted to oatmeal.

I make Mom an omelette and put my phone on the dock, and danced to We The King's Just Keep Breathing.

"Summer! Turn down your damn music!" I hear my mother screech from her room.

"No," I say stubbornly with a chuckle. "Get your butt down here, I made you an omelette. We're leaving in an hour, Mom."

I hear her door slam shut and her feet shuffling.

I'm guessing she's excited to see Dad too.

I pass her the dish I made for her and she starts playing with it with her fork.

"It's burnt," she whines. My mother can be a pain sometimes.

"Just eat it, Mom," I tell her. "And move fast. It's an 18-hour drive."

She gives me an irritated look.

"Why don't we just stop over or something?" she complains.

"Because you're the one who promised Dad we'd be there today," I smirk at her as I load my bowl onto the dishwasher.

"Technically, we'd arrive tomorrow because it'd be past midnight when we get there," she points out.

I didn't really care. I just wanted to see Dad.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," I sigh.

Sometimes, I felt like I was the mom.

"Are you sure you don't want Eli to come? I can call Kendra if you want," she offers.

"No, Mom," I say as I walk up the stairs.

Why did she have to remind me about Eli all the time?

~

It was already 7:00 when Mom and I were done. We were already a half hour late, and she still wants to buy a coffee at Starbucks.