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Mermista sat with her cousins on her bed. Her eyes though were looking out the big window and out to the sea. It was raining, hitting against the window. It was joyful music to her ears.
"I don't understand why you won't get back with Sebastian." Meranda said.
Mermista closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Any other subject please."
"We know you're not happy." Marika said, "Can't you forgive him?"
Mermista laid back into two long black body pillows behind her. "I'll talk to him after the trial. Right now I feel so damn angry. I think I need ice cream."
Amara got up, "Four spoons and I'll get whatever's in the freezer." She jogged out of the room in purple sweat pants and a pink top.
"Do you ever take your hand off your stomach?" Mermista said to Marika.
Marika looked up, "Huh? Oh, Jordan says that a lot to me too. I can't help it. He's everything to me."
Meranda put a hand to the side of Marika's belly. "I'll have a cute belly soon."
"Being sick though is awful. I really hated throwing up." Marika told her sister. "It's coming your way really soon." She said with a laugh.
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"Maybe I should let Sebastian knock me up so I can be in the club." Mermista said in a sad yet upset way.
Marika shook her head. "No! Don't do that."
Mermista was shocked by the loudness of her voice. "Gah calm down. I honestly don't want a baby right now."
Amara came back with three tubs of ice cream and spoons. Strawberry for Mermista. Chocolate for Marika. Vanilla for her and Meranda. "You're out of ice cream if we finish these."
Mermista was the first to laugh. Then the others laughed too. "If . . . yeah right, Amara. I'll write it down and give it to Kathy." Mermista said. Kathy had been with the kitchen staff almost eleven years now.
They all dove into the ice cream and the rain fell harder outside.
Marika moved to sit beside Mermista. "Tell us what you're thinking." She said and saw the sadness all over her cousin's face.
"I keep pushing him away for a reason." She said as she let tears fall down her face.
"You wanna tell us that reason?" Marika said and put her spoon into the strawberry. Mermista flashed her a mean look. Marika scooped up a spoonful and ate it. "Want some of mine?" She offered.
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"Not in the mood. Thanks." Mermista said, looking down at her own ice cream. "We haven't tried all of the flavors together!" She said in a very emotional way. Her cousin's looked at each other then at her. She began to cry harder. "We were going to try all the flavors together."
Marika put a hand on her shoulder. "I think she means at Salty Sweet."
Mermista nodded her head. "Yes." She wiped her face with her blanket. She liked the way Marika was running her fingers up and down her back for comfort. "I miss the way he touched me."
Marika removed her hand. "Ahh, yeah normally I'd want details, but not right now."
Meranda smiled. "The naughty ways or just like holding you?"
"Uuugghhhh . . . everything." She whined and shoved melting ice cream into her mouth.
Amara got up and talked with her hands. "I don't get it, Mermista. Why aren't you getting back with Sebastian?"
Mermista moved her carton of ice cream to the night stand. "I have to learn how to live without him." She paused to let that settle and sink in for a few heartbeats. "It's the only way I can survive without him later on in life."
Amara came closer and sat on the edge of the bed. "What?" She said, wanting more of an explaination.
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Mermista sighed heavily. "I love him. He's like my soulmate. Yes, I'm mad at him for some things. Couples fight and make up. Breaking up with him wasn't hard at first because I was so mad about being thrown out of the social. When I got home I cried for like an hour and cried myself to sleep."
She looked at her cousin's then kept talking. "It's better for me to try and be without him. I don't know how long, but I need time for myself. I've been glued to him for months. You all pushed me to date him."
"I'm not sorry." Marika said. "You belong together."
"Then he can be soooo annoying. He sings shanty's in the shower. They're so dumb that I laugh and he laughs and . . ." Mermista was smiling to herself. "The point is someday one of us is going to die. And if he leaves before I do I'd rather know now what it's like to live without him then to know later on in life. This will prepare me for the worst."
Amara was crying so were the others. "Wow, that's really deep."
Meranda wiped tears off her face. "Great now I'm thinking of Mikey that way."
Nodding, Marika said, "Same. Why do people have to die?"
"Some dumb greater meaning or something." Mermista angrily said then randomly let out a scream.
Amara lost her balance and fell off the bed. Instant laughter and more tears came from her family. "Yeah, thanks a lot." She bitched then couldn't help but laugh herself.
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"My gosh we're such a mess." Meranda said, taking her shirt and wiping her face.
Amara got up and said, "Let's go bake brownies!"
"You know what goes good with brownies, right?" Mermista smiled from ear to ear.
Together they all said, "ICE CREAM!" and then they all went to the kitchen.
Later that night Mermista thought of the memories of her relationship. They'd shared so much. They'd been intimate and she'd been in love. She still was and she knew Sebastian was too. Her mind drifted to her father and mother. It had been eight years since that awful John had speared her dear mother.
Eight years of struggling with grief in her own way. Now after all of these years he was going to be on trial. She prayed that he'd be sentenced to a slow and painful death. It was only fair to want this. Her mother had done nothing wrong. She'd been caught in their net and John's iced heart didn't care. From what her father had told her, it was quick yet horrific to see.
Mermista felt the wetness on her face and pillow. She forced her mind to stop thinking and she closed her eyes. In a few days this would be over and John would be found guilty. If the jury for some reason didn't go for the guilty verdict she'd be out for his blood. Her father would be too.
It only took a few minutes for her to fall asleep.
