American Sweethearts

40

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I love you all with my entire heart.

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I sit in silence, listening to the sound of the second's tick by. As each minute passes, my heart aches more.

It's been a week. Five whole days. Five days of doubt, confusion, and frustration. Five days since Tyler messed with my head. Five days since he kissed me. Five days since I last spoke to him.

He's vanished out of my life. I know he hasn't moved out. His stuff is still all over the apartment. But it sure seems like he has.

He's deliberately avoiding me. Owen and Lena have both seen him, but I haven't. I didn't see him much before the kiss either, but I'd hear him, or smell him, and know he was around.

At first, I thought he was waking up early, and coming home late. But after staying up 24 hours without seeing him, I know that's not the case.

He doesn't sleep in the apartment anymore.

It's ironic, really. Last time I saw him, he was asleep. It was about an hour after the kiss. I was waiting for him in the living room. I had so many questions I needed answers to, but he'd left to go shower. When he didn't come back, I knocked on his door. I didn't receive a response, so I peeked inside.

It was pitch black, but with the light from the hallway I could make out the shape of his body on his bed.

I left him alone. He must've been exhausted. But now, I wish I'd woken him up.

"Sarah Stone?"

"Yes?" I ask, the sound of my name snapping me out of my daze.

"Your grade."

"Oh," I nod. I get up off my seat, grabbing the papers my professor hands me. She gives me a polite smile, but I'm too distracted by the red marks on my exam.

91%. An A+ in biology.

I smile to myself. Just hours ago, I got a C for a music theory test that I thought I did well on. When the semester began, I thought my biology and health classes would be the ones I'd struggle with.

I didn't even do this well in high school biology.

"Alright, everyone," the professor says. "if you have any questions about your grade, feel free to speak to me. Otherwise, you're free to go!"

I get up off my chair, throwing my bag over my shoulder. I slug out of the room, dragging my heels over the old, blue carpet.

Getting a good grade would usually make me happy. But right now, it's just confused me more. How can I be better at biology than music? It doesn't make any sense.

Both my parents hated science. My grandfather was a doctor, but I never spent any time with him. If anything, he made me want to avoid the medical field at all costs.

No, Sarah, I scold myself. This isn't the time for negative thoughts. I have enough of them already.

I step out into the breeze, letting the wind push my hair backwards. I make my way to the parking lot, purposefully avoiding the campus centre. I'm not going to support group today. Instead, Steph and I are taking the free self-defence class Detective Monroe gave me. I asked Lena at first, but she had a test to study for.

"There you are!" Steph calls, waving at me from across the lot. "I've been waiting for you."

"Yeah, sorry. I had to wait to get my test results back," I chuckle.