Our Life After

More Problems

*Lizzie's POV*

I ran up to my room, unable to think because I was so torn apart.  On the top step, my foot caught, and I feel forward, cutting my arm on the base board.

I got up, stumbled again, and fell right back on my face.

I decided not to get up, so I just stayed there, on the floor and cried.  Cried and cried and cried and cried and cried.

Mom came upstairs, and her face was swollen with tears, and she bent down and grabbed me in her arms, and I allowed her to hold me, and I cried and bled all over her shirt.

She kept repeating, “I'm sorry.  I'm so so sorry."

After a while, I had no more tears to cry, so I sat there holding on to her like my life depended on it.  Even though she got us in this mess.

“Mom?" I said, “My arm is bleeding."

She looked down at the gash in my arm and gasped.  She ushered me to the bathroom and cleaned the cut, then bandaged it.

“I am so sorry honey.  Anger got the best of me.  I am so so sorry."  And I knew she meant it.  She hated to see me in pain, and I knew this was crushing her almost as much as it crushed me.

“Can you take it back?" I asked.

Her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head.  “I'm sorry, baby.  There's no going back."

My body suddenly found some more tears somewhere in it because they came flowing down my face.

“But Mom!  You have to!  You have to....." was all I could say before disappearing into a pile of tears.  This hurt me so much.  I needed Catherine.   I needed her now more than ever.

I stood up and went into my room, and cried myself to sleep.

**************************************************************

As I got ready for school Monday morning, I couldn't form a clear thought on what to wear, how to do my hair, what to eat for breakfast, nothing.

I could only think about my plan.

I decided over the weekend that I would forgive Mom, and I did, and boy, did she look relieved.  The part of the plan I didn't disclose to anyone was that I was still going to be friends with Catherine.

I didn't know about Josh.  I chose to leave him of this plan.  I didn't need him in my life to make me happy or anything else.  I was way over him.  I was so over him it's like I was an airplane.

So I ended up wearing a navy blue maxi skirt with a striped tank top and my hair in milk maid braids.  I threw together a quick lunch before saying goodbye to my parents, and walking with Christian to school.

As soon as I arrived, I wished Christian a good day as he headed off to the elementary section and I headed to the high school section.

I walked quickly over to Catherine's locker and waited for her to show up.  She didn't show up.  I had to leave with two minutes to class or I'd be late.  I wondered where she'd gone.

She didn't show up for school the next day, or the next.  Josh came to school, but I refused to ask him anything.

Finally, on Thursday, she saw me at her locker and came running.  She hugged me so hard, I flew back against the locker, and hugged her back just as hard so she knew how much I missed her.

“I knew you'd be here."  She whispered into my shoulder before backing up so I could breathe.

“Of course." I said.  “Just because our parents are feuding doesn't mean we can't be friends."

“But if they find out?"

“We'll have to be sneaky."  I said.  And I proceeded to tell her my plan.

“That sounds good and all, but there's just one problem Lizzie."

“Oh? And what is that?"

“My parents are talking of moving back to District 7."

My heart sunk in my chest.  “What?!"