The Romance Story

Chapter 11

Its been two days since my fight with Dylan and my dad. I checked into a hotel and slept and cried for the first day. Now, my phone buzzes uncontrollably as I sit in the back of a cab.

"aren't you going to answer that?" asks the driver.

"no. I'm not in the mood to talk to him."

"boyfriend trouble?" he asks.

"and dad. Their both just jerks." I say as I bang my phone on the back of the seat. My dad and Dylan has have been calling me non stop of the past few days. Missy has been text bombing me as well. Dylan's been looking for me and I'm pretty sure my dad has called the cops. Let them worry. I don't care.

My phone won't leave me alone! As the city fly by my window, I see a park to my left. A pond and a beautiful bridge sit in the middle of it. I tell the cab to pull over, pay him and run to the bridge. I grip my phone then throw it as hard as I can. It makes a thud and splash in the water. I feel a weight lifted on my shoulder. Then a new one takes its place. I will never be able to play flappy bird again. Crap. I begin to walk away, my business complete when I see an ice skating rink a little bit away. I call another taxi. We drive in silence and I try my hardest to block out all that Dylan said and what I saw with my dad. He and Samantha were dating! He should have told me! I am his only daughter. I shouldn't of had to find out that way.

I walk in and rent a pair of skates. The rink is completely empty. It is a school day after all. I make my way to the ice, just going around the circle a couple of times. All my past lessons start to come back to memory until I'm flying through the air, spinning on my toes and sticking my landings. I feel complete and utterly free. Until I see a Blue Jackets poster, lose my balance and fall right on my back. I stare up at the poster. How many times have I gone to the games with Dylan? My dad? Too many times to count. I sit up an bring my knees to my chest and sit there in the middle of the ice. I cry into my hands at the burning sensation in my chest. I've gone to ice hockey games with everyone but my mom. I wonder where she is. I wonder if she even liked hockey. I wonder why she isn't with me. I think back to what Missy said about her mom. How she deserved to die. I would never wish for my mom to die. But I would be lying if I said she didn't deserve it. the sound of skates hitting ice brings my face up out of My hands to see Dylan skating towards me. I don't move as he skates over, stops and sits down. He doesn't touch me or say anything.

"how'd you find me?" I ask as I wipe away my tears.

"your my girl. I knew you would have to stop by here sometime. You feel free on the ice. It makes you happy." he says as he pushes a piece of hair behind my ear.

"is my dad here too?"

"no. He would be but he's taking care of some police problems."

"so he did call the cops."

"we both did. We didn't know where you were, Andy. For two days. We both hurt you so bad that... We didn't want you to get hurt anymore."

Silence fills the rink. He stares at me but I just stare at my hands wondering what to say. Waiting for me to say something.

"my mom left me, Dylan." i don't know why I said that. He knew my story. I told him that I didn't care. I thought I didn't. But watching Dylans dad leave reminded me about how when I was little how I had such a horrible temper and never trusted any moms that came near me. I warned kids on the play ground. Warned them that one day their moms would get up and leave with out saying goodbye. That they really didn't love them.

"I know. I wish I could Do something."

"but you can't. No one can. Shes gone forever."

" you don't know that. She could come back."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"she wasnt there for the first 17 years of my life. She has no reason to come back. She won't. I don't want her to."

"I want my dad to come back." he admits then sighs like he shouldn't say something like that.

"I know it's wrong of me to think that but... I miss him. And I know he doesn't miss me."

"I don't know about that. I bet he misses you. Now my mom, she has no reason to miss me. She's never met me." I say as I lay my head back down in my lap.

"I guess we both have parent problems." I stare at him as he runs his fingers down his ice skate.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you. In my house. You were just trying to help and I was a jerk."

"yeah. You were." we both smile.

"but hey my dads in the same boat as you are. Maybe I will have a little bit of mercy." I say playfully.

"yeah. Speaking of which. He wants to talk to you."

"how do you know?" I ask.

"your dad let me stay at your house until we found you. Your bathroom is amazing." I laugh but it sill sounds forced.

"I'm surprised." I say leaning back on my arms.

"that your dad wants to talk to you?"

"no that he let you stay in our house."

"you were gone for two days. We were worried." he says, seriously. But I give a half-heart-half-smile as I say, "I'm surprised he let you live this long, let alone stay in my house."

He smiles and looks down at his skates.

"yeah. It came as a really shock to me too, considering I was the one that had to tell him the story."

I watch him. His smile fades and his face hardens.

"you really scared me." he looks up, but he doesn't look at me. He just looks straight on, like he is admitting this to himself and to me.

"I thought you would never come back." thats when the tears came. And the guilt. My heart felt heavy in my chest as I scooted towards him and held his face in my hands.

"you can never get rid of me. Not even if you tried." he kissed me. With out saying anything. I knew we would have to go back and I was ready for that. I'm going to go home and face my dad and Samantha. And I'm going to live happily ever after.