i like (the idea of) you • grayson dolan

eleven

OPAL'S POV

My bedroom door slams behind me as I accidentally shut it too hard. Shit.

"Seriously, Opal? Slamming doors now?" My dad sighs, coming in after me. "I just want you to focus on your grades more!"

"I will! I just—it's not that bad, I have some late work I need to turn in!" I shout back, my eyes already stinging with tears. The whole room was blurry, my heartbeat was in my ears, and all I could think was that I needed to be alone. "Please, just get out of my room!"

"Don't talk to me like that," he snaps, the tears falling from my eyes. I could never handle being yelled at. "You're grounded until your grades are up, and until you can be more mature."

"Dad!" I cry. My grades weren't even that bad—I had one D and a few Cs. The rest were high.

"No, Opal! You're acting like a child." As he yells again, I begin to cry harder. "Come on, stop crying."

"I'm going out," I mumble, shoving through him and out the front door. He doesn't stop me even though I'm supposed to be grounded. Grounded has never meant much in our house anyway—he likes Celia so she's always allowed over, and I usually like being home. Except for moments like this. As soon as I'm outside, I really start sobbing. "I'm such a fucking baby!" I shout at myself, kicking a rock across the street.

It was so stupid to be this upset just because he yelled at me. I couldn't handle one simple argument without sobbing? It was so stupid for us to be fighting over a few bad grades. We'd both been a little bit on edge lately, this time of year made that happen often, and I guess that annoyance caught up to us.

I couldn't stop fucking crying though, which only made me feel worse. I walked down the street, my arms wrapped around myself from the cool air. We had our first snowfall recently, only a dusting, but it made it feel like the bitter winter was already here.

Wiping some of my tears away, I take my phone out of my pocket to text Celia. She'd been busy with Julie a lot lately, but she was still my best friend. She had to answer.

Opal: lia are you busy?
Opal: my dad and I got in this stupid huge fight and I don't wanna be home rn
Opal: idk can i come over or something we haven't hung out much lately
Celia: sorry! im not at home
Celia: text me later?

Then she stopped answering.

It hurt, that she'd just brushed me off so easily like that. Celia was supposed to be my best friend—my only close friend.

I felt selfish, that I wasn't happy for her. But I missed having my best friend around.

Celia barely teased me about hanging out with Ethan and Grayson at the football game after her texts that night. Because she wasn't even around long enough for me to tell her about everything.

We sat together in class still, but she was always texting Julie, or actually paying attention to the teacher. I just missed her.

I know that she had a girlfriend now, that she really liked Julie. I figured they'd spend a lot of time together—but I didn't think she'd completely abandon me. Especially not at a moment like this.

I started crying harder as I walked along the street, not knowing where I'm going, just away from home. I'd go back later, after things calmed down.

"What're you doing out here?" Grayson laughs from a ways behind me. I just walk faster. "Woah! Opal, wait up!"

It's no use trying to outrun him, but I don't stop walking. I hear his footsteps stomp closer as he catches up to me, panting, bundled in a thick hoodie.