Don't Get Angry

58- Otis: Grow Up

I walked into my room about to shut my door. "Otis?" I furrowed my brows and reopened my door. Angie stood in the hallway with tears in her eyes. "Can I talk to you?"

My eyes burned from exhaustion. But I nodded. "Of course." I stepped aside and she walked into my room.

I walked over to my computer chair. "What's going on, Angie? Mom called me because she was so worried about you. You ran away? Why'd you do that?"

She pouted. "I'm sorry. It's just... I don't want her to worry about me."

"Then talk to me. Tell me what's going on. Come here." I pulled the beanie chair close to me.

She walked over to me and sat on it.

I got down to her level and sat on the floor. "Is it school?"

She nodded.

I sighed. I was about to tell her that she was a kid. That kids were idiots. That things would get better when she grew up... but I remembered Betty. "What's going on?"

Angie shrugged. "I have no friends and no one talks to me anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because I liked this boy and my friend liked him too."

I chuckled. "That's so st..." I looked at her. "Go ahead."

"I told her and she told him that I liked him. And he liked her, so they're dating now. And they stopped talking to me... One day, I got really upset and I told the boy that I liked him. He told his girlfriend. And she started making up things about me in this group chat with the other girls in our class."

"Like what?"

"That I kissed the ugliest guy in school-"

I chuckled.

"It's not funny, Otis."

"It could be worse. Trust me."

"How?"

I sighed. "When I was in middle school, I had this date-"

"Mom let you date in middle school?"

"No. I was a banquet thing at my school. Your school. They have them once you graduate."

"I know."

"Yeah. So, I went to the banquet with this girl and I liked her a lot. Like, a lot, a lot. And things went great all night. I ate a lot and drank a lot of fruit punch. Todd was there, so things were awesome. Then we got up to dance and my head got really light and the room started to spin."

Angie's eyes widened.

"And the girl stepped in front of me to make sure that I was okay. Then, just like that..."

"What happened?"

"I threw up pink all over her."

"Ewe." Angie squirmed.

"I know. Totally gross. And social suicide, might I add."

"Certainly."

I chuckled at her vocab.

"Did everyone stop talking to you?"

"Yeah... But Todd never left me."

She smiled. "Because Todd's your best friend."

"Yeah, and if that girl's really your friend, then tell her how you feel."

Her smile faded. "I already have. I texted her and she texted me  KYS back."

I furrowed my brows. "W...-wh-"

"You know what that means, right? It means kill yourself-"

"Yeah." I cringed. "I know..." I sighed. "Angie -"

"She doesn't care how I feel. She hates me and I don't know what to do."

I didn't know what to say. I was furious. I wanted to storm out of the house and walk over to that little girl's house and give her a piece of my mind...but something told me to relax. I took a deep breath. "Have you ever thought of that before?"

Angie turned to me. "...Once. But I love mom. I don't want her to feel like it's because of her, or something."

I frowned. How could a kid have these kinds of thoughts? I knelt in front of her and held both of her hands. "Angie, that's why you should tell mom what happened."

She shook her head. "Nope. I can't-"

"Listen to me. Do you know what moms are here for?"

She shrugged. "I don't know," she giggled.

"To listen...to make sure that you're okay...to give you advice. Moms are supposed to be there for you when you need someone...for anything. Go to mom."

She stared at me.

"Promise me you will."

"I promise."

I stared at her. "Put her thumb on your forehead."

"What?" She giggled.

"Just do it."

She put her thumb in the middle of her forehead and I did the same. She smiled. "Okay? What happens now?"

"I don't know. I saw Dalta do it with her friend. I think it's like a pinky promise or something."

She put her hand down and giggled. "It's weird. I like it."

I smiled. "Me too... Even if you don't have a friend right now, I'm still here, okay? And Penny's right next door and she acts like an eleven-year-old."

Angie laughed. "That is true."

I yawned. "I'm so tired... Good night, okay?"

"Good night..." She hugged me.

I smiled and hugged her back. I looked over her shoulder. My mother stood in the doorway. She wiped her cheek then walked away. I looked at Angie and smiled. She walked out of my room and shut the door. I slowly stood and sighed. I looked down. Things felt...different...better. Even without Dalta.