You, Me, And The Divide

Chapter 13

Daniel wasn't at lunch. Drake and Will sat with us still. Nobody was aware of what I told Danny. I didn't even tell Katie what I was about to do when I stormed off. Alex and Katie picked up on my mood immediately. I didn't talk much at all. When Alex asked me to help wrap his burrito, I did. When Katie asked me if I had my notes on me, I passed them. Any statements that did leave my mouth were short. I could handle conversation right now. When Will asked where Danny was, I simply shrugged. My lunch was left untouched which Alex took as an invite to devour it.

"I'm going home guys. I'll talk to you later," I told them flatly all emotion out of my voice and somewhere hibernating deep inside me.

I pushed my chair in, swung my bag over my shoulder, and walked right out the front doors. The rain drenched me immediately without an umbrella. My truck was dry inside, and I took a moment just to enjoy it. Only after I was safely in the truck, with the rain blurring the outside world, did I cry. I needed to pick up all the pieces of my own life before I can be a part of someone else. There were too many reasons I shouldn't have Danny in my life, but it didn't help me wishing I could.

I cried just to cry after a little while. I hated crying. It wasn't going to make the situation better, but sometimes I just need to let it out. I never cried over one thing. I cried over all the things that were compressed and building inside of me since the last time. It was like a volcano erupting at last. When I finally finished my little pity session, I wiped my face with a tissue I had bundled up in my purse. I turned on the truck and pulled out of the student parking lot. My house was vacant when I got home, and suddenly, I didn't want to be alone. I left school because I didn't want to be around people, but I didn't want to be alone. This is why I need to get my life together.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Allen's number. He was the only person I knew that wasn't at school or work right now. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?" He asked confused. "Not that I'm not glad you called, but aren't you in school right now?"

"I um- I left. I'm home. Are you busy?" I asked him softly.

"No. Not in this weather. Wanna come over? Or I go there? Whatever?" He asked me casually.

"Yeah. Can you come over?"

"Be over in five. Gotta put pants on," he told me. The sound of a chip bag crumpling in his hands sounded through the phone before he hung up.

I looked at myself in the living room mirror. My hair was in need of wringing out making me look like a wet dog. My clothes clung to me all over again, but I didn't have the energy to climb the stairs and change. I put my purse on the stairs and cross the room to the kitchen. The light flickered on illuminating the kitchen designed before I was even born. The blue counters went out of style before they were even installed in the house. I grabbed a cup and filled it with tap water before chugging it. Despite being waterlogged, I was dehydrated after my fifteen minute flood of tears. There was a box of cookies on the counter that dad was pitied into buying from a Girl Scout that cornered him while grocery shopping. I pulled the packaging apart and are one in a single bite. The front door opened, and the sound of rain filled my ears momentarily before it swung closed again.

"Issy?" Allen called from the front door. I could see him kicking off his shoes by the door from where I sat on the counter.

"In the kitchen," I called without getting up.

"Hey there," he said as he walked into the kitchen. He was pulling a blue hoodie off as he spoke.

His idea of pulling pants on was just dark gray sweatpants. His shirt under the sweatshirt was a black shirt with the "hang in there" cat picture dead center. His socks didn't match quite right. They were both grey just different shades. It was a familiar sight to see him in his lazy clothes. When he came home for breaks, he'd come over and just hang out all day. He didn't dress himself to be seen or anything, so he roughly followed this image all summer.