My Roots

Chapter 11

I am honestly surprised Mitch agreed to come tonight. After what happened this afternoon I would totally understand if he told me to go fuck myself. When he walked in he looked way different from what he did at the party earlier, he's all dressed down in leggings and a sweater thats way too big for him, making him seem even smaller.

I see him get caught up by two boys, they talk for a few before Mitch has me take a picture for them, I agree before we take our seats.

Mitch sighs "Okay let's talk and get this over with before I give you a bloody nose."

I chuckle and notice a small smile on Mitches face after I do so, "I owe you an apology."

He scoffs "Yea, you do."

I push his coffee in front of him and take his hand, he tries to pull away but I hold still. "I shouldn't have done what I did, I don't regret breaking up with you. We would have never survived like that and it would have damaged our friendship even more if we stayed together, but I do regret the way I did it. I shouldn't have just cut you off, I was just so afraid that someone would find out about it and then I would be outed to the whole school. I saw how they treated you and so many times I wanted to stand up for you but again I thought that someone would suspect something and out me."

He looks down at his cup "It was selfish of me to want that for you Scott. I held so much hate toward you for what you did but I never really thought about how you would have been treated. I guess I just thought that because your so much bigger and stronger than me that if you came out it wouldn't have been that bad. But your right we wouldn't have lasted if you didn't end it. We would have been even more fucked up then we are right now."

I laugh, "God,"

He looks up at me smiling "Why the hell are you laughing?"

I laugh again and squeeze his hand "Because I didn't think i'd ever get the change to apologize, to sit down and have a real conversation, to make you laugh." I look at our hands, "Or hold your hand. I honestly though I lost all of this."

He moves his hand palm up and intertwines our fingers. He takes a breath and says "We both messed up. I am still mad about what happened and how you broke up with me but I missed this too. I missed you and I really want to work on becoming friends again."

I smile "I would like that."

Mitch take a sip of his coffee and says "Okay, let's do this right... 21 questions?"

I laugh, "What are we back in middle school?"

He laughs along with me, "Shut up, come on!"

"Okay, okay. I will go first, any pets?"

He smiles "Yes, Nichole got me a sphynx for Christmas last year his name is Wyatt Blue and he's my child."

I laugh at that "Okay you go."

He pretends to think for a minute before he asks "What do you do for a living? With that huge house you must make some good money."

I chuckle "Not near as much as you but the army pays well, especially when i'm deployed."

Mitch frowns, "The army?"

I nod rubbing the nape of my neck, "Yea, I actually just got back a couple months ago. I was deployed to Afghanistan for about 3 months."

He forces a smile, "Good for you, well I am glad you like it."

I look down at my hands "I'm actually back in training, I don't know when I am going to get deployed again but I have a feeling it's going to be soon. I've decided that after this trip i'm going to quit. I put everyone through hell the last time I got deployed."

He nods, "I can only imagine. God I am so glad we're figuring things out now cause if something happened to you and we were still at each others neck. I would never be able to forgive myself."

I chuckled at that "I would feel the same, if I died before I got to apologize I would never forgive myself."

We both just sit in silence for a few before I ask, "Your leaving in like a week right?"

He smiles, "I'm going to be here for like 10 more days, i'm leaving on a Tuesday." (A/n- Don't!)

"Let me take you out. Tomorrow night, I have don't train on Mondays or Fridays so i'm open all day."

"Scott, I don't know if that's a good idea..."

I cut him off "I'm not asking you to take me back, we are not the same people we were years ago. But I am asking for you to let me spend the day with you to catch up on everything that I missed out on."

Mitch looks like he's going to say no and I can tell he's really trying to decide when he says "Okay, I'll meet up with y-" His phone rings.

"Hello-yea-i'm actually in the middle of something can we talk about this when I get back to my hotel room?- Ben I am on vacation I really don't want to be making deals right now -with E?- okay set up a meeting for the day after I get back tell them I will decided then weather or not I want to do the interview- okay, have a good night bye-"

He hangs up and apologizes "Sorry, my manager is a pain in my ass."

I laugh "Sounds like it, well can I walk you back to your hotel?"

He nods slightly, "Sure."