Waiting for Superman

The Aftermath

"It takes twice as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart."
-Finnick Odair, Mockingjay

Chapter 5

I trudge into school, later than I normally arrive, as in I walk into my class just as the final bell goes off. I walk over to my desk and slump down in it. Ms. Krishon talks on and on about something pertaining to the class, I stare down at my desk and fiddle around with my pencil. After Ms. Krishon is finished speaking I look back up to the clock. 9:00, I still had over an hour in this class, over an hour before I saw Matt again.

An hour later I walk out of my class, I look up to see Matt looking at me, we look at each other for the longest second before heading our separate ways, both with our heads down and our shoulders slumped.

Walking into French class I mutter a "Bonjour, ça va?" to Madame Attafi and cross the room to my seat at the back of the class. I text Lexie.

I saw him, we made eye contact but then he walked away.

A few seconds later my phone lights up with a text from Lexie.

Aww, well maybe he's hurting just as much as you are?

I sigh. I didn't think he was. I send a quick text to my friend Brandon, asking if we could talk later. He always knew what to say to cheer me up, or to just put me in a better mood period.

The bell rang, signaling the start of second period. I knew this was going to be a long day.

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At 12:15 I walk to my car. My mom had decided to let me leave early, to do a little retail therapy. Something we did every time I had boy issues or a break up. I unlock my car, but before getting inside I pull a little burgundy bundle out. His shirt that he'd given to me last Thursday. The shirt he told me to keep so even when we weren't together, I'd still have a little piece of him, well at least something that could remind me of him from it's smell.

I take it out, turn around, and walk to his car. Before I lift one of the windshield wipers I bring the shirt to my face and breathe in it's sweet aroma. I choke back the tears and place the shirt between the windshield and windshield wipers. Quickly, I walk back to my car and speed out of the parking lot, trying to forget how I gave up one of the last things tying me to him.

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I walk out of my mom's acupuncture appointment, eating from the giant bag of candy I had gotten earlier. Every break up needs chocolate and other sweets. My mom unlocks our black BMW, I settle into my seat and look out the window.

As my mom closed the driver's side door, a very familiar smell made it's way to my nose. Oh god no, please don't let me start crying again I beg. But the smell was just to much, I scramble to roll down the windows, just as the waterworks start again. My mom looks at me with shock.

"Emily, what's wrong, are you okay?" She asks stopping the car in the middle of the road.

I motion for her to keep driving, "No, it smells just like him." The words escaping my mouth, causing me to cry even harder than I already was. My mom's lips purse together as she stares intently at the road.

"Honey, I don't know what happened between y'all but I do know that he cared a lot about you."

"Yeah but obviously not enough to actually stay with me," I seethe. I hated the fact that he had this affect on me, no guy had ever made me cry before, unless you count my horse, but I'm talking about human guys. Not even the boyfriend I had who we had dated for 3 months and then he broke up with me, blaming me a for a fight that I had never started or wanted, never cried over him. Yet, with Matt and our whirlwind of a relationship, in such a short time he had made me fall head over heels for him.