The Feel of Water

Twenty-Two - Break Up

Our football team is in the playoffs now. In celebration, Andre and Jalen are hosting a bonfire party at Andre's house, and it's all the senior class can talk about for the entire week leading up to it. Allison is convinced that Nick is going to make things official between them at the party, so as we hangout in her bedroom beforehand, she starts getting ready an hour early. Becca lays in Allison's bed, nearly devoured by the comforter, and only visible by her caramel waves. I dragged the bean bag chair to the center of the room. I watch Allison curl her hair in the bathroom, and I try to coax Becca out of bed.

"I'll get up in a bit," she mumbles. "I only have to fix my makeup and change my shirt."

"I thought you wanted to straighten your hair?" I remind her.

"Yeah, well, I'll just leave it. Wake me up in twenty minutes."

"Alisha just text me," Allison calls back to us, leaning so close to the mirror that if she were to sneeze, she'd hit her head. An eyeliner is locked in her fingers, and she draws carefully along her lash line. "She said she'll be here in a minute. Can you go get her, Dani? I still have to finish my hair."

I stand up from the bean bag chair and head downstairs. As I lazily hop down the steps, my phone vibrates. It's a text from Sean. He's already at Andre's house, helping the boys set up. The guy has been so busy with football that I've barely seen him at all this week. Our school takes playoffs very seriously, having won the state championship a handful of times in the past, so the players are starting to feel the pressure. We're expected to make it to the end, and with such high expectations weighing on their shoulders, a party to blow off steam seems almost necessary.

I smile to myself and tap back a reply. I tell him that I'm getting ready at Allison's.

The doorbell rings so I snap back to reality. When I answer it, Alisha is waiting on the other side, breathing deeply and looking overwhelmed. "Hey," she says and quickly moves past me.

"Hey," I coo, unsure. "Everything alright? You seem a little stressed."

Alisha motions upstairs then jogs up the steps. I follow closely behind her, growing more concerned with each of my ignored questions. She heads straight in the bedroom, holts at the door, and announces, "I broke up with Javier."

Something drops in the bathroom, clattering on the floor. Becca springs up in Allison's bed, and I hurry into the room, moving in front of her

"What are you talking about?" Becca shoots. "What do you mean you broke up?"

"Yeah, Alisha; what are you talking about?" I question.

Allison comes out of her bathroom holding a fluffy brush dusted with pink blush. Her face is cluttered with confusion, and she stands there unable to speak.

"I broke up with him," Alisha says. By the sound of it, it seems that she's still processing this. "I-I had to."

"What? Why?"

"Because I've only been with him."

"Okay? So you didn't date anyone before him; why is that a reason to end things?" I ask, walking her to the bed. We sit together on the edge, and Becca crawls out of the blankets.

Alisha can't sit still. She stands back up and faces the three of us. "I can't be with one person for the rest of my life," she spills. "We—we had all these plans. Everything planned out, and I realized that I'm never going to date anyone else. It was high school together, college together, starting careers, getting married—all with him. All together. I could never go on a blind date. Or hookup with a stranger. Or just see what it's like to be with someone other than him. H-How could I do that to myself? How could I deprive myself of so many experiences? I'm only eighteen, and I had my entire life planned out with my high school boyfriend."