Lightweight

Lightweight : Chapter Eleven

                         The rain poured harder as I got closer to home. I put my hoodie on my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about Scott. It kind of irked me that I couldn’t get him out of my mind. As much as I tried to accept the fact that he’s going, I just couldn’t. He was like my other half. He kept me strong, and made sure I never got left behind. He kept me whole. Now I’m just going to be half and that bad half at that.

I finally got to my house when I realized I didn’t want to go home.

I kept walking a few blocks to the little cafe shop.

I opened the door to the shop as the passé entering bell rang. I walked over to one of the red teared seats in front of the counter. This shop was about hundreds of years old. So everything looked so worn out. I was probably the first person under 40 to enter this shop, in years.

I began to play with the chipped paint on the counter when one of the waitresses came over to me.

"May I help you miss?” She had long brown hair and terrifying blue eyes. She held the pen and notepad in her hand, ready to take my order.

I looked up to her and with a nasally voice I said "Um, black coffee, I guess," Putting my head back down.

She stared at me for a second with an uneasy look then she went into the kitchen. Soon after, she came back out with my coffee.

She slid it in front of my face. "This one's on me," She leaned on the table. I didn’t even have money to pay for it, so that was alright.

“Thank you,” I managed to get out.

My eyes were puffy and my long eyelashes were heavy. I felt horrible.

I sipped on my coffee. Then I looked up at the waitress who was still staring at me, smiling. "Um, can I ask you something?" I know I didn’t know her for two seconds, but at this point I was desperate for some advice on heartbreak.

She nodded. I took a deep breath and started. "What would you do if you had this really, really amazing friend you've known for six years. You guys where just buddies at first then things start getting serious and you guys end of dating six years later. Then a few months into the relationship your amazing boyfriend has to move. He's been with you through everything and kept you on your toes since day one. Then he just disappears. How would you deal with that?" The look on her face made me think that she was catching on to which person this was happening to.

She lifted her eyebrows and began to think. Then she slowly put them down. "Seriously, honey, I don't know how to deal with that, because I’m just not strong enough," I put my head back down disappointed, but then she continued. "But I think you're stronger than me," I looked back up from my coffee. For some reason I felt like opening up to her, about everything. I felt like I’ve known her for ages. Those few words meant a lot to me.

"Look kiddo," She said looking down at me. And with the most sincere voice she said "Just by looking at you, I could tell you have so much going for yourself. If this boy is leaving, wherever he goes, it means it's meant to happen," She looked me in the eye. I began to think what she was saying was true. It was probably time for me to stand on my own. I am my own worst enemy.

I made rings in my coffee with my spoon while she continued to speak. "It's just a test that life is giving you. To see if you're strong enough without this boy," She leaned back on the table.

"Well if it is, I failed, badly," I said defeated.

"It takes you to know if your strong enough before anyone else can," After that me and Stephanie, the waitress, talked for hours about many deep things. About how she was a widow and had 1 child who was traumatized by the death of her husband. I felt sorry for her and I knew why she was so good on advice about relationships because she told me she's been through it all, many of life’s obstacles.

Then my phone began to ring.  It was my mother. She told me it was about time for me to get home. It was almost 9:00 but I didn’t want to go home. I smiled at Stephanie as I got up. I thanked her for the free drink and left the coffee shop to go home.

As I walked home, I thought about Scott again. He was leaving tomorrow. I thought about going to Scott's house to stay for the night, since I was actually never going to see him again. With that thought I walked straight to Scott's house.

I hesitantly knocked on the door. I was afraid his mom would wake up and yell at me for coming this late, but Scott came to the door. His eyes were squinted from sleep.

"Syd, it's almost 9pm what you doing here?” He roughed his hair and yawned putting his hands in his pj's pocket.

"Just wondering if I could spend the night here, since you are leaving tomorrow," I hoped he'd say yes. He was usually worried about his mom who didn’t like people sleeping over, not even his own cousins.

He smiled and made space for me to enter. "You have to be extremely quiet ‘cause my mom would kill you then me if she found out I had someone sleeping over," He grinned. I sighed with relief and softly entered his house.

It was quite dark. I crept up the steps. The little light from the t.v coming from Scott's room led me to it. I entered the room as Scott followed in after locking the door. I took out my phone and laid my bag on the floor.

"Who’re you calling?" Scott asked turning on the light and jumping into bed.

"My mom,” I dialed the number and put the phone to my ear. It started to ring.

"Sydney! Where are you! “She yelled into the phone.

"I’m sleeping over at Frenzy's. We have this project due tomorrow and this is the only way to finish it," I lied. Scott snickered in the background at how convincing I was.

My mom's voice went from stern to soft. "Okay, just make sure you get it done. I don't want to see anymore 55's on your report card," And with that she hung up. I threw my phone on top of my bag and removed my soggy sweater.

"Need some clothes?" He asked. I nodded as Scott got up and went into the drawer. He pulled out a huge shirt and handed it to me.

"Thanks," I grabbed the shirt. "Bathroom?"

"Outside, down the hall and to the left. Please keep quiet," He begged. I nodded and left the room and into the bathroom. I stripped off my pants and my tank top and put on the shirt. I washed off my face and looked into the mirror.

The grief began to slowly build up in the pit of my stomach. I rubbed my eyes and looked back into the mirror. I still saw the same girl in the mirror, who wasn’t me. I looked away from the mirror, grabbed my clothes off the toilet and walked out.

I entered the now dark room locking the door behind me. Scott was hidden under the covers. I shoved my clothes into my bag and laid in bed next to Scott. He turned to me, his soft breathe hitting my face. I brushed his hairs behind his ear and down his neck. He wrapped his arm around my thin waste as he pressed his lips against mine. I rolled over on top of Scott and straddled him, our hands intertwined. The covers where still over us.

I pressed my lips against Scott's passionately then wrapped my hands around his waist and up his back. I laid my head on his chest, still in a straddling position. He placed his hands on my back as tears solemnly strolled out my eyes. This moment was perfect. Not even talking, just the acknowledgement of each of our prescience’s, the best kind of intimacy there is. And I loved it.

After a few minutes I looked up at Scott who was in a deep sleep. I rolled back into my spot on the bed as Scott turned and spooned me, our hands intertwined. I was going to miss this, a lot.