✨It Doesn't Even Matter✨

Patch It Up

West 93rd Street
How do I start?! Today is May 18th. It's Chapel day. It wasn't mandatory so I'm not in school right now. I literally went to the Chapel for attendance then left.
"Where do you guys want to go? It's 11."
"Let's go to Central Park!"
"Central Park?! Are you guys crazy?"
"What's wrong?" Gabe asked.
"Her Mom films there," Josh explained.
"The show films a lot of Central Park scenes. You'll be fine Allie. She probably isn't up here anyways."
"Well. I guess so."
Mama: You're not going to Chapel? Where are you going, young lady?!
Me: To the Park.
Mama: Central? Close to home?
Me: yeah.
Mama: I want you home soon. Do you hear me?
"I can go but I can't stay for long. I'm being tracked." I honestly wished for a way to take this darn tracker off, it made me feel less free.
"I can go. Let's just sit there and chat."
"Can you guys believe we're going to be in 8th grade soon?"
"I certainly can. I'm ready to graduate and go to high school." I said.
"Watch us not even be able to apply for public school."
"I have a feeling our parents already know where they want to send us."
"They always put us in private."
"I don't think public is rowdy."
"The vapers are quaking."
"Don't ever vape guys, it's gross!" We laughed and I rested my head on Joshua's lap. We all had so much fun just talking and hanging out.
"Term break time!"
"We're going to the Hamptons this weekend. Are any of you guys going?"
"I honestly don't know, I wanna hang out with Josh this weekend," I said to Leila.
"How about Joy and I tag along? It'd be really cool." Gabe suggested. I feel like things are heating up between Joy and Gabe, you can tell a bit, with the way they look at each other and all. My thing is, why is Joy being so secretive about it? I thought we were best friends. If something is starting to happen I would love to know, especially since I contributed to this whole thing.
***********
Southampton, NY (Peter's Perspective)
Today we were having a family outing, we do these as often as we can without the kids being photographed. Today, we took the kids out to a restaurant located on a farm.
"Dad, what are you getting?"
"I'm not sure myself. Why?"
"I don't really know what to get," Andrew replied. We went through the menu together and decided the chicken meal looked best for him.
"Daddy, in school we were all passing notes to each other, like positive things, yeah?!"
"I'm listening Maya."
"And I got this note that said that they loved my hair because it was curly, and the shade of my skin too."
"That's amazing sweetheart! Do you know who gave you that note?"
"Yeah, Garrett."
"Who's Garrett?"
"This guy in my class. I don't really talk to him, but that was super kind right?"
"It was! Right, Dad?" Allie said while nudging me.
"It was. What a nice kid." Mariska rolled her eyes and returned her fixation to the menu.
"Allison, I think you'd like the rigatoni. Wouldn't you darling?"
"Yeah, it looks good. Mama, Is it okay if I go to Joy's later?"
"Why?"
"I need to talk to her."
"About what?"
"Mama...." Allison whined.
"Allison, I'm not just going to send you over there without a reason."
"But I told you it's because I need to talk to her."
"What's so important that you have to go and bother her on a Sunday afternoon? You're going to see her tomorrow love."
"Alright. Never mind." She stayed quiet for about 10 minutes after that and I asked her what was up.
"I'm okay Dad. Just thinking about things."
"They don't look too positive."
"Well, I'm not going to lie to you, they aren't. But I'm allowed to think them, am I not?"
"You are. You know, some thoughts are just uncontrollable, they appear randomly and there's really nothing you can't do about it."
"Same with a flashback."
"That too. I'm not ignoring your past Allie. I'd never."
"I know. I'm not upset, bummed is a better expression. I really needed to Joy." You know what, suddenly I wonder what this is about too.
**************
Our Hamptons Home (Mariska's Perspective)
It was just Allison and me in the house today, and it was rather quiet. For months on end, our relationship has started to become increasingly more strained, and we haven't been able to connect the way we used to:
Flashback
"Mama, I'm glad you came to my seminar!" She flashed a quick smile and I gave her a kiss.
"I'm glad I came too." It was a Mother/Daughter relationship seminar and it was really insightful.
"I'm hoping that all of the tips will make our relationship even better than what it is right now."
"Yeah, because it's already the best relationship. Right, Mama?"
"Yes, honey. The best!" We were walking back to our brownstone and a thought ran across my head suddenly.
"Sweetheart?"
"Yes, Mama?"
"Do you promise to talk to me whenever you're having problems?"
"Well, not every time, but maybe most times because I want to learn it on my own a little Mama."
"Sounds fair." She fixed her hair and skipped along the sidewalk ahead of me, eager to go home and play with her siblings.
"Allie?"
"Yes?!" She stopped in her tracks and I fixed her dress.
"Do you love me?"
"Yes, I love you."
End Of Flashback
And yes, I know it can't go back to being that way, she's older now, way older. But, I want some of that back at least.
"Allie. Is it okay if we have a chat?"
"Mhm? What about?" She put her book down and stared at me intensely.
"About our relationship these past months. Have you felt as if anything had changed in the last few months?"
"Definitely. I feel like, it's gotten a bit worse over the months. We've been kind of arguing, having a lot of back and forth. Sometimes I wouldn't even speak to you."
"I agree, and I wanted to know, what happened?" She shrugged and then started to speak.
"Maybe it's just me. I want a lot of a lot. I want a lot of privacy, a lot of freedom. You don't give that to me, or I feel like you've been nosey, or you're a bit too strict for no real reason."
"Nosey?"
"A bit."
"But you've never had a problem with me asking you things beforehand. We used to be really open with each other, and we talked about a lot of things a kid your age shouldn't even be discussing yet, because I felt like you were mature enough."
"I dunno, it's different now Mama. It's not even that I don't want to share, but maybe it's not the right moment. Like lunch yesterday. I didn't want to talk about it in front of them all. Sometimes I think it would work better if you just let me approach you."
"Noted."
"That's all I really have to say. Is there anything that you want to say to me?"
"Yes. What is like you to know is that there are some moments where I feel like your attitude towards me is borderline rude, and it's really unacceptable to speak to me that way, but these days there's less of me having to reprimand you on that and I'm glad you're maturing even more. What I also want you to know is that I love you and that I only get so nosey because I care and I'm any you to be happy and safe always. I love you so very much Allie."
"Love you too, Mom."
"Give me a hug love bug." We shared a very long hug and Allison started to cry, which I found to be so adorable.
"Why are you crying, honey?"
"I don't know!"

A/N: Happy Holidays!