Thieving Florida

chapter 12

I haven't seen either of the siblings since they left ten days ago. The first two days I waited. I only went out to get laundry soap and dish soap. But they never came, leaving me confused and sad.

It was like Eden said. Being friends with them would be a mistake on my part. I shouldn't have even tried. Am I a masochist? No, I don't enjoy this. Not at all.

I called Chris the fourth day. I told him that I wasn't going to be around them anymore, and that we could hang out again... after we talk some things out.

The fifth day I decided to get a hair cut. Instead of my hair halfway down my back, it's now just past my shoulders.

The sixth day Chris and I met up together at a local cafe. We ate lunch there and talked together.

"So are we going to talk about our problems?" Chris asked me after taking a sip of his drink. I nodded.

"You can't tell me what to do all the time," I say. He looks confused.

"What do you mean? I don't tell you what to do," he defends.

"But you didn't want me being with Xander and Eden. You pushed me to have that party. You didn't want me to hang out with Jordan, which I now understand a little more... I didn't like you telling me to do those things though," I say. He nods, not saying anything else.

"You can't keep up those whole 'bad ass' acts though. Doing something that's against the rules every once in a while is okay, but doing what you did... I just don't even know what that was all about," he informs me. I nod in agreement.

We sit in silence for a couple of moments.

"Is that all of our problems?" Chris asks me. I shrug.

"Probably not, but I can't really think of anything else right now..." I say with a sigh. I don't want to leave anything untouched, but I guess I'll have to live with it.

"I missed you," he says, grabbing my hand and making small circles on it. I was hesitant to let him hold it for that moment, but I let it go.

"Me too," I say.

"You missed you too?" he teases. I roll my eyes.

"You know that's not what I meant," I say. "But I do miss me too. Not the girl who did all of those crazy things. I miss me."

Chris gives me a small smile. "I do too. But you're my best friend, and I'll always accept you for you. Even when your hair is half the length it used to be."

I laugh and nod, not wanting to say anything else about the sentimental moment. Changing the mood of the room, a loud boom of thunder rumbles, practically shaking the cafe. Everyone simultaneously looked out the windows and to the sky, seeing the dark storm clouds just over the ocean.

"We should go before it's too late," I tell Chris. He nods, taking my hand in his as we walk outside.

The winds are picking up, sending a wafe of sea salt in my face.

"Chris, how long do you think we have until we're soaked?" I ask.

"Mmm... maybe five, ten minutes," he answers.

"No! The walk to my house is longer than that!"

"That's why we'll be taking my brand new car," he tells me with a sly grin.

"No way!" I exclaim. He nods.

"Brand new silver Mercedes," he tells me. It's obvious that he's proud of his new car.

"How did you manage to get it?" I ask him.

He shrugs, saying, "Mom and Pop. They've been saving up so yeah."