ATL

Chapter six

Stuti

I can feel my heart hammering in my chest.

I don't understand why he said that. Does he still feel the same way, or is he just saying this, to hurt me.

I don't know. I have so many questions, so many thoughts, unsaid words, and so many painful reminders that I cared for him too.

Heck,I still do.

Before my mind can think about what I am doing, I start walking back towards my car. I can't deal with this right now. I walk back as fast as my feet can carry me.

I see my mom glaring at me as I get into the passenger seat.

"Don't" I say, not looking at her.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

"Nothing" I say simply.

"Can we not do this right now mom, I just want to go home" I say again.

She doesn't argue with me, and I sigh in relief.

The drive home is quite, both of us choosing to be left alone with our thoughts. Well thats what I chose to do.

The tension in the air is almost suffocating and I want nothing more than to go to my room and cry. I am so overwhelmed by everything going on, I just need a break.

Once we reach home, I just walk into my room and close the door. I want to talk to someone but I don't know who. Diana has her own problems, I obviously do NOT want to call Kiara. Then a person comes to my mind,

Riley.

Riley is one of my best friends, Kiara and I met her at this art camp we went for last summer.

She is so kind, caring and humble. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She gives the best advice too. She works at an amazing library in Chicago and coincidentally when we met her she knew Diana too. She was one of Diana's best friends growing up and both of them are really close to this day. She loves writing too, in fact her poems and short stories have been published, she is just an excellent writer.

I spent the whole of summer with her and Diana when they came to New York, well those days are long gone now. It seems like only days ago we were laughing and sharing our stories, it was like an escape from the sorrows of life, and the situations we were in at the time.

A lot has changed since then.

I snap out of my little memory and grab my phone.

I wait until she picks up.

"HEY!" She says excitedly "Oh my God, its been so long. I have missed you" She says hurriedly.

"Hi, I missed you too, so much has been going on" I say with a hint of sadness in my voice. I am just glad to be talking to her.

"Spill" She says.

*A few hours later*

I have been talking to Riley for the past two hours, its been so nice to just catch up with her and talk to her. I knew she was the right person to call, she always knows how to make me feel better. She knows how to make me smile, and make my forget how messed up my life really is.

"So about Brian" She says, unsure about herself.

"Go ahead" I say.

"Yeah, well to be honest, I think you still feel the same way too" She says confirming my own thoughts.

'I think I do" I say looking at the ground.

"What's the problem then?" She asks.

"Jeff" I say simply.