My Collection of Birthday Not-So-Short Stories

The Rules of LOVE Part 3 (Final Part!)

I would be lying to say that everything was smooth sailing from that day on. Nathan, filled to the brim with emotional conflict, decided to sort things out in himself before he would explode and leave me to wash him off the walls. I missed him like crazy. I, however, had other problems to worry about, too.

I had no idea how this was going to work. I missed my family. The unknown mystery of whether they were alive or not had haunted me every night. I fell in love with a human. I’m supposed to hate them. I could never go back home! What about when the war ended? What if he wanted to go back to his own home? The questions buzzed around my head.

My heart felt sore and weary from beating way too fast every time I got stressed about it. I longed for Nathan like heck, but, although I didn’t want to admit it, I was in no condition to push the relationship.

Cecelia must’ve noticed, because one day on the kitchen counter I saw a library copy of “Romeo and Juliet”, which I know I didn’t check out. When I opened it, there was a torn piece of paper that read:

Doing Errands. Relax and read.

           -Cici

I shrugged and skimmed through it. I couldn’t understand a word. But I sat down and read it anyway. Don’t ask me why, because I honestly have no idea what possessed me to. The further I got, though, the more I didn’t want to put it down. I felt so close to the characters, Juliet especially, and could so vividly picture what the characters were doing in my mind that the words really didn’t matter. I couldn’t stop crying at the ending. Yet somehow, when the tears dried I felt more at peace within myself, like I was almost ready to face my… our future.

The next day, Cecelia helped me out even more. I was sunbathing outside, thinking about Romeo and Juliet, when a striped dress, my purse, and my brush were thrown on top of me. Cecelia stood before me with her hands on hips and a mischievous grin on her face. “Get changed, lazy bones. We’re taking a trip!”

I wasn’t in the mood to argue or ask questions, so I picked up the dress, slid it over my blue bikini, and brushed my tangled hair.

When we loaded into the car, I asked her, “Okay, so now will you tell me where we’re even going?”

“Y’know how on Tuesday a few weeks back we said we’d go to the mall together but we never did?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I decided it’s time to follow through with that plan.” She snorted with a laugh like it was obvious. “We’re having a girls’ day out!”

I paused. She knew how serious I had been mulling over things the past few days, and she chooses now, of all times, to go have fun?

It was exactly what I needed.

Next thing I knew, we were sitting in the food court, enjoying salads and pasta, when I explained to her everything I had been thinking about. Like always, she remained silent until I was done, and then gave her opinion straight out.

“What should I do?!?” I ran my hands through my hair, ready to rip it all out.

“Easy! First, take a chill pill.” She raised an eyebrow at me with a mouth full of noodles and alfredo sauce. I tried not to laugh. I merely smiled and took another bite out of my plain, buttered noodles. “Second,” she continued wisely, “Stop with the ‘what ifs’ already! Things happen, and when they do, you gotta take them head on. Before that, don’t sweat it.” She leaned in close to me and got dead serious. “Tori, I wouldn’t stop you from staying here when the time comes. I want to stay here.”