Meet On The Ledge || Greta Van Fleet

Chapter 31

    2016 - Christmas Day

    "I know, I'm gonna be home soon... I wanted to see you on Christmas too, but it's not gonna work bub... Please don't be upset, they just need me here... Hey, listen I'll see you after the new year though okay?... Alright, I love you too!" I hung up the phone and sighed. Jake had been mad at me for a long time because I wasn't coming home for Christmas, but it was only because one of my teachers asked if I would stay around and help teach a class with her. She let me take off Christmas day and I was done after that, but I knew Jake would want to be with Hannah that on New Years Eve or at least she would want to be with him.

    "Hey Mags, you wanna go get dinner?" Lily yelled from her room. She was still here because she didn't believe in Christmas or really any holiday that was overly commercialized.

    "Yeah, just give me a sec!" I hollered back. I looked down at my phone to a text from Sammy.

    Sammy: Miss you, Merry Christmas!

    I smiled down at it, Sam had been a lot more understanding recently. I didn't know what changed his mind, but I was happy all the more for it. I quickly wrote back,

    Me: I miss you too! I wish I was with you all, Merry Christmas Lamb!

    I looked in the mirror, I had turned into such a casual New Yorker and I hadn't noticed it. My long hair was annoying me to the point that I was questioning whether or not I should cut it all off. I pulled a dark grey winter hat over my head, one of the one with the pom poms. Jake had sent it to me in the mail with a note saying he loved me in these hats. I threw on my big winter coat and boots, then walked out into the kitchen. "Ready?" Lil said.

    "Yeah, why are you all dressed up?" I said admiring how good she looked, but upset that I didn't know to dress up.

    "Let's go dancing!" She shouted, doing a little dance.

    "Come on, it's cold outside."

    "Dancing waits for nobody!"

    "Lil, I really don't feel up to it."

    "What's going on with you? You've been different since Thanksgiving break."

    "Nothing, I'm just not up for it. I mean it's Christmas, I don't want to do that."

    "Tell me what's wrong." I sighed at her persistence.

    "I don't know if I'm gonna come back next year.." I waited for her response, closing my eyes for impact.

    "WHAT?? You're kidding right?" I shook my head at her. "Why in all hell would you do that? I thought you loved it here."

    "I was, well, I was talking to some people and I miss home."

    "Oh yeah. You were 'talking to some people' and who the hell are 'some people'? That 'boyfriend' of yours. That's bullshit Maggie and you know it!"

    "I don't expect you to understand-"

    "Oh no, I understand. You think he'll leave his girlfriend. GOD Maggie, what's it gonna take for you to see that he won't. I feel like we just keep talking about it all the time. On and on, Jake this and Jake that. He wouldn't be with her if he really loved you."

    "You don't understand." I said, hurt by every word that left her mouth.

    "Maggie, I understand perfectly. You didn't go home for Christmas, but you have perfectly enough time to go home for New Years. You're staying here to avoid it and it's bugging the shit out of me."