The Sound of Summer

11. Encantado

It's been exactly 7 days since Dre and I broke up. The days pass by slowly because for me they are all the same. I haven't left the apartment in seven days, I only stand up to go from my bed to the kitchen for food and the bathroom for everything else. Well, not exactly everything. I'm not proud to say I haven't showered in seven days as well. I've been wearing Dre's sweater for seven days straight. I can't find the motivation to wear something else.

I told Claire I was relieved, and I am I think, but now what? My entire life revolved around my relationship with Dre for almost four whole years. There was nothing else for me. I depended on him for so much. I guess that's what relationships are about, but never to the point where we reached. My happiness depended on him, and now that he's gone, what's left for me? What do I do now? I've been asking myself that question in between the times when I can't fill up the emptiness I feel. I still don't have an answer.

Mostly, I spend my days either sleeping or watching TV to pass the time away. Even that is difficult, because there aren't very many shows I can watch without being reminded of him. My thoughts are interrupted by someone knocking on the door. They don't wait for me to respond before they barge in.

"God, Lungi it's 12 and the curtains are still closed! What's wrong with you? It fucking stinks in here," Sifiso says as he walks to the window and draws my blinds up and opens the windows. The sun burns my eyes and I bury my head under my blankets.

"Leave me alone. Please just let me wallow in my misery," I groan.

"You've been wallowing for days so no I can't. The band is coming over to practice and then we're all gonna go chill on the roof and have a stress-free, misery-free day. Okay? Okay." He says, as he picks up dirty clothes from the floor and tosses them onto my desk chair.

"I don't want to go"

"I don't care. Get up" he says as he pulls the blanket off of me. I scream and kick my feet at him.

"I thought you were supposed to be the good cop!" I scream at him, though with no real annoyance in my voice.

"I am. Do you think Claire would have given you this much time?"

"No. Please don't make me go" I beg him

"You don't have to go far! Just take a shower, and at least sit in on practice. It'll give Luisa time to scrub the stench out of this room. I promise I won't force you to go outside if you really don't want to."

"Fine, okay, but I want you to know it's not going to bring me joy"

"If you say so"

I get into the shower, and despite how much I try to fight it, I feel ten times better already. I scrub away at as much dirt and dead skin cells as I can and once I'm done I feel a step closer to a human being again. I put on a pair of sweatpants and another one of Dre's hoodies that I have in my closet. It still smells like him. Wearing his clothes makes me feel miserable and safe at the same time. It makes everything easier but so much harder still. I walk out of my room and find that the band and Claire are already here and chatting away. Luisa shoots me a smile and greets me. I give her a firm hug before telling her she's okay to clean my room.

"Morning everyone" I say, a little embarrassed about the state of myself. These people are like family though and there's no one else I'd rather look busted in front of.

"Well if it isn't the Bride of Frankenstein, back from the dead" Monte says as he imitates a zombie. It makes me chuckle a bit and I stick my tongue out at him playfully.

"Haha, very funny" I say as I take a place beside him on the couch. I lay down so that my head is resting on his lap. Claire is sat cross-legged on the floor. She gives me a sympathetic smile and I offer her one back before I listen back to the conversation.