a heart's end

Seventeen

Anaelle

    "So why doesn't Monty just tell you that he likes you?" Tybalt asked through bites of his burger. It was Wednesday afternoon, and after the English class we shared he finally convinced me to go with him to this tavern next to the Statue of Liberty. The view was really nice since we were up a few floors and the sky had a hint on orange. I sighed as I looked at my plate of untouched food. I nibbled on a fry, thinking. I had told Tybalt everything that was bothering me lately, which is really strange since normally I am a closed book. Locked and sealed away. I figured telling somebody would clear my head and so far it's working. Well, I didn't tell him everything. I left out the kiss of course, and the crying. Nobody needs to know that.

    "I don't think Monty knows he likes me. Plus it's confusing, because if he does I can't be with him."

    "So you want to be with him?"

    "No. I didn't say that!" I sneered. Tybalt chuckled and my eyes rolled. I'm getting really tired of sitting here listening to him.

    "So, I heard you're leaving the city this weekend? You do know that if you miss a certain number of days in school you get kicked out, right?"

"You do know that I don't care, right? That rule is so the school can keep pumping money out of the government. It's one big scheme that I really don't care about." He looked at me for a second, I guess trying to figure out if I was joking or not.

    "Plus I haven't missed any days. Donte has only missed one. Plus, we're not missing any days for this trip. If you can call it a trip. It feels more like a death sentence."

"Seeing your family feels like a death sentence?" He asked, sipping his water.

"You don't know my family."

"Ahh, I see. Is that why you came to New York in the first place? To escape?" I was taken aback by his personal question. Escaping? Kind of. It was more of a forced move than anything.

"Not really. This was one of the schools I got a full scholarship to attend." It was a full blown lie but Tybalt didn't know better. I wasn't about to sit here and tell him that my parents paid for this all to get me as far away from as I could, but still close enough so their claws could stay in my back. It sickening really.

"Well, why don't you just ask somebody to come with you if you think your going to hate it that bad? One of your roommates maybe? Even Monty." He smiled, trying to make a joke. I didn't smile back.

"Well the main reason Donte and I are going back home is to see his mother is the hospital. I don't know if you knew, but his mom has cancer. So I don't think anyone really wants to see that, especially around us."

    "Oh." Was all he said in return.

Monty

    Sunday afternoon is when I miss my family the most. I mean, every Sunday morning since I was born me and my whole family went to church. I would sit by my friend Angeline and the rest of my family would be a couple rows back. After church we would all go eat somewhere where the food was home cooked. A nice sit down southern style, yes ma'am no ma'am restaurant. Sunday is when I missed brothers and my dad. My dogs and my horses.

"So I heard Anaelle is going back home this weekend?" Jon told me over a late lunch. It was his treat, for some odd reason. We've texted here and there about our language class that we share. I've let him cheat off my paper once or twice so apparently that makes us friends. I guess hanging out with Jon is better than hanging out with Kalena. I haven't spoken to her all weekend and honestly I don't want to.