My eyes slowly opened. Golden morning sunlight filtered through the curtains and splattered it's light over the contents of the room. My arms turned up in a stretch. Memories as golden as the sunshine replayed in my head. Memories of yesterday, spent at the Water Park with some of my closest friends. Splashing water at Peter. Being soaking wet. Going down the water slide two at a time. Buying a mocha flavoured ice cream afterward, paid by the lovely gentleman Peter.
Although, there was a bit of a sour aftertaste to the memories of yesterday, but I couldn't remember why. There was something about Peter.. Yes, something was off about him. The bad parts of yesterday came back to me. I remembered Peter furrowing his brow in worry when Bridget spoke of Glee Club this fall. He also had a distant look in his eyes the whole day.. I could see clearly that something was bothering him, but I didn't take the time to ask why. Why didn't I ask him? I was a really bad girlfriend, wasn't I?
I flopped back down on my pillow. Glancing at the alarm clock, it was 11:06 a.m.. Great.
Good memories gone bitter, I struggled out of bed and replaced my puppy pajamas with denim shorts, a white tank, and a striped cardigan. The sunny morning became bleak. Hopping down the stairs, I arrived at the kitchen. Yelps of laughter and sounds of playing came from the side yard. Sitting down to the clean and deserted table, I dug in to a cold plate of pancakes placed at the head of the table for me.
After the plate was empty, without further thought I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Peter immediately.
"What's wrong? Txt me back plz"
15 long minutes of waiting later, a text came back from Peter.
"I'm on the way"
I was slightly disturbed that Peter would come over so abruptly. It was definitely out of the ordinary. Shunning myself that I was being paranoid, I brushed off the thought and waited on the couch, deep in thought, for Peter to ring the doorbell.
The ringing of the doorbell eventually came, and I had never ran so fast in my life to open the door.
The awkward silence that came afterwards was.. well, awkward.
"Hi." I began the conversation in an odd tone.
"Hey there.." Peter took my arm gently and pulled my out onto the step. "Sonny, I REALLLLY need to tell you something. And it's kind of weird, and unexpected, and you might be mad at me when I tell you. So just take heed."
I nodded, looking up at him. I bit my lip in frustration and impatience as he paused.
"Well.. My Mom.. uh.. God, Nali I HATE saying this but.. we're moving to.. Cali."
I felt like I had just stepped right into the climax of an awful cheesy romance flick. Words were stuck in my throat and I couldn't force them out. My mind was whirring. I didn't know what to think. Thoughts were flying past me. First, images of Peter dancing with un-naturally tanned, bleach blonde party-hard-till-we're-too-drunk-to-stand girls, and I almost puked. And then those images vanished as I thought of how boring school, Glee Club- heck, LIFE would be boring without Peter.
First Bethie had to go. And then Peter appeared in my life, and I had some sort of sanctuary to go to, when I felt like there was no one left. Peter was the sanctuary. He was the only resort I had. Bridget was there, of course. But I can't tell her everything. She'll never get it. Peter knows it all. Bethie, my sisters, the Factory, everything. Over the past few months we had grown so, so so close.
"Sonali?" Peter eyed me cautiously.
I glanced up at his eyes. They were tear-ridden, completely dry. I felt the tears running down my own cheeks, and I was infuriated.
I tore my arm from Peter's soft hand. He winced.
"I have to go." The words jabbed at me as I spoke them.
...My life is TOO much like a movie.
-Sonny
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