third time's a charm

"you're my main one"

chapter nine: you're my main one

Tuesday, December 12. 5:21 pm.

"So, he'll be here Monday?" I nodded my head as Rowan began to ask questions about my dad while I was walking around my room, picking up various items of clothing to throw in my laundry hamper. "And he's not supposed to leave until the twenty-eighth?"

"That's the plan," I told her, looking back at her as she sat on my bed. "And... he might stay for New Years."

"Fuck, Elle," Rowan said, sighing as she continued to look over at me. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm kind of... excited." I looked away from her as I spoke, but glanced back at her to see a look of shock prevalent on her face.

"Are you shitting me?" she asked, not at all trusting of my words.

"I'm being serious." I looked at Rowan as I bit my lip gently as she seemed to be unable to wrap her head around my words. "It's not a completely happy excited... I'm nervous excited, but also curious excited. I'm unsure, but interested."

"When's the last time you talked to him?"

"Well, he sends me texts every once and awhile... just to check up on things, but it's not often. I haven't seen him for years... and he's called a couple of times, but I've never answered. I regret never visiting him... but he left at an awkward stage in my life, and I didn't know what I was doing... I didn't fully know what the decisions I was making meant. The boys just seemed to have a better connection with him, and I just didn't fit in."

"When he's here... where's he gonna stay?"

"Here. With my mom," I said, sighing quietly. "She doesn't admit it, but she sees him a couple of times a year. Will and I know she does. She loves him a lot, Ro."

"Geesh," Rowan said, not expecting to hear that. "What, are they gonna act like they're still together?"

"They won't be all over each other... especially not in front of us, but they won't act anywhere near strangers. It's not like they got divorced... they separated for a reason. Will thinks they've always planned to get back together whenever we were out of school. We've always been the problem, so..."

"They were high school sweethearts... weren't they?"

"Yep," I said, rolling my eyes as I thought about it. "But they broke up in college, for two years."

"Then they realized they just couldn't live without each other?" I laughed quietly, but nodded my head. "God, love that."

"I'm sure my dad's had girlfriends since he's been gone."

"Really?" Rowan asked, but as I started to actually think about it, I almost couldn't imagine him being in a relationship with anyone but my mom.

"Maybe not..." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Can we not talk about this anymore? I have less than a week before I have to deal with him, so I want to be free of him until then."

"Of course," Rowan said, nodding her head. "Let's move on to my favorite subject."

"Which is?" I asked, confused as to what she was referring to.

"Um! Hottie from North."

"Shh," I said, my eyes widening as she spoke. Vales and Will were in the room beside us and I didn't trust the thickness of the walls.

"I didn't say any names!" Rowan whisper-yelled and I laughed quietly before flailing down on the bed beside of her. "Updates, please."

"He's really good," I said and she started to squeal in excitement. "We talk on the phone."