Growing Up

Spring:April May Bring Better Days

March, went by silently. Billy was with Cami—they were so happy together. Billy became a thing in the past to Milly while Johnny tried so hard to be the guy she chose to prom. He wanted her to be his escort to the last game, he wanted to spend all his time with her. He’d do anything to prove it to her.

               Despite my efforts there was that pain in my chest whenever Cami or Billy walked by, which quite frankly was all the time thanks to Cami’s class schedule. School was so boring, I had nothing else to do. Home was feeling more like home. It was like George always had someone over and me just alone. I’d do it to see him smile, I was tired of being selfish, but I was scared of being alone.

               I was glad to see Billy looking healthier and Cami getting off my case. I still couldn’t tell him how I felt. ‘Hmmm so do I really owe Johnny my life, or what? What did she know and how much?’ I heard feet sloshing behind me in one of Aprils random shower dates. I stopped to listen.  “Mills, just tell me yes or no.  I can’t take this game anymore. I really want you to say yes. So please?” I looked up at his 6’ 4” and nothing came out. I hadn’t talked to him in well—I never did, so I didn’t know what to say. “So the game is in two weeks, or I guess the last Friday of April.” I grabbed his arm, and held it, I didn’t know what to do or how to be around him. My body began to burn again but I just couldn’t stand to get my heart broken again. It hurt, my chest felt like it was going to explode inside of me, and my lips felt so empty. Why him, why now?

  It was a beautiful grey, the rain was coming down, washing all of the pains away. Each drop of rain stained Milly’s light blue t-shirt and her gray UGGS. She looked up and each drop fell on her face, tickling her skin. A smile spread wide across her face, pink flushing her cheeks. She shook her head, tears flooding her eyes, still nothing. Johnny’s freshly gelled spikes fell. His cocoa brown eyes shinning, his pink lips covered by a smile and his cheeks filled with the swelling heat from Milly’s touch.

“So I guess I’ll see ya later then.” He stammered. I let his arm go and smiled. I walked to class my arms crossed over my chest, tears falling from my face, blending in with the rain.

School announcement. We have tallied up the votes and your runners for prom queen and king are.

·         Johnny R. Kennedy

·         Billy H. Griffith

·         Charles T. Bates

·         Milly J. Rodriguez

  ·         Cami-Lynn Muniz

·         Sandra C. Thomas

How embarrassing to be fighting for the same category as that little tramp, and I’m not talking about Sandra. I had to stay focused on the last assignment for school. “5 Hours in Your Community”, this was my last chance to apologize to him.