Chapter 28 Done
?Azalea?
"I got go-go juice Mr. Terrip!" I raise my coffee in the air, smiling widely.
"Like you need coffee, you're wild enough," he shakes his head.
My eyes are tired, my personality isn't.
"Did you know that Grey has never had Capri-Sun?" I sit my chin on my hand, leaning on his desk.
"Who? What's Capri-Sun?" I close my eyes and internally try to not be disappointed in his ability to never remember anything I say.
"The guy that comes here with me sometimes and Capri-Sun is a drink," I explain.
Why doesn't anyone know what Capri-Sun is?
The bell at the door goes off, signaling that someone has entered.
A girl, probably around my age or a little older walks up to us, a small shy smile on her face.
"Hi," her voice says quietly. She tucks her shoulder-length black hair behind her ear.
"Do you have any books here on constitutional law?" She questions. Mr. Terrip looks over at me for the answer.
"I think we might," I give her a smile, standing and ushering her to follow me.
Oh my gosh. We can be friends.
Don't say anything stupid. Don't say anything stupid.
"Are you studying law?" I question her as I lead her to the section where the book would most likely be.
"Oh no, it's a general studies class at Western Oak," she explains.
If not a four year college, I wanted to go to Western Oak Community College. But, neither happened.
"We're doing a presentation and I need a book on it," she says further.
"A book on constitutional law would be around this area," I show her the area of government-related books.
"I'm Abby," she smiles.
Does this mean she wants to be friends?! I need to calm down.
"I'm Li-Azalea," I've been around Grey too much I think. But I'm not going to stop being around him. Anyone who sets their eyes on his bootylicious butt can see the reason why. And he's a darling sometimes I guess.
She bends and picks out the exact book she needs.
"Are you in college?" She asks. I laugh a small bit and shake my head. She continues to look at me for a second and I feel her light brown eyes on the cut on my cheek.
"I play powderpuff football, It's a battle wound," I explain and then internally rolls my eyes at myself.
Why do I have to say the weirdest things?
I lower my eyes and fully expect her to laugh awkwardly and then go check out the book in her hand.
Instead, she laughs. Like actually laughs, not a fake one.
"How'd you get drafted? Can you put in a good word for me?" She questions.
"Mr. Terrip, the man who owns this place is the main referee," I add, "you should talk to him."
"No I'm not in college," I answer her earlier question, shaking my head in an attempt to recover from my crackhead episode, "I would love to be though."
It's still true. There are still things I'd love to do I'm just not sure when. I have a list.
1) Master the lyrics to every Aerosmith and Def Leppard song.
2) Go to Hawaii and get recruited by the hula dancers.
3) Slap Grey in the face, for no reason, I just want to see his reaction.
4) Immediately after slapping him, kiss him repeatedly.
5) Go to college.
6) Dress Bear up in a Tutu.
7) Go to get a tattoo, but chicken out completely.
8) Get Grey to strip for me.
9) Write a book on the philosophy of a Clue named Blue.
10) Tell Grey I love him many times each and every day.
There are more that I can't even remember but I think I have them written down somewhere.
Abby and I stay talking for nearly two hours. It took a while for me to really tell what actually happened to my cheek. I was a little nervous for a few reasons.
One, she could be a cold-hearted killer.
Two, she could not give a crap.
Three, she wouldn't want to be friends with someone with baggage.
But everything worked out.
I found out she's from the small town next to mine and that she has two little sisters. She's a sophomore this year and she just recently turned twenty. Her favorite color is pale pink and her favorite food place is Subway.
I told myself I wouldn't talk about Grey or even mention him at all. It's actually a great way to get a mental break from him.
And his muscles.
I was even able to talk just a bit about Jake.
I wasn't a complete crackhead when trying to explain my life. Although, I definitely slipped through from time to time.
My phone rings and listening to Abby talk about her cat Sweetie, I figure it'd be rude to answer my phone so I click the power button, silencing the ringtone.
"Sweetie hates everyone," she laughs.
Sugar hates everyone.
"I know a person like that," I smile cheekily. Grey Alexander Kingston. I spent two hours getting his middle name out of him and I'm fully prepared to use it in any and every situation. I even thought about changing his contact name to 'Grey Alexander' with two poop emojis and one heart emoji.
But in the end, I decided that I would keep the one I have now for a while. 'Sugar' with a mean face emoji, an angel emoji, and then one kissy face emoji. One for each of his most common moods.
I'm sure he's noticed by now that I've changed my name on his phone. It is now "Big Booty Judy" with the peach emoji and the heart eyes one. I'm not sure if he's changed it back yet though.
"He's not even an old cat, he just hates everyone. He tolerates me sometimes-" she pauses when my phone begins to ring again. I roll my eyes, pick up my phone and full-on decline the call this time.
"Maybe you should answer that," she chuckles.
"I can call back later," I assure her.
"Anyway, you said you want to go to college, you should enroll in the spring semester!" she proposes and I sit up, interested.
That actually sounds pretty great.
"I think I'll have to look into that," I nod.
My phone rings again and I answer it quickly.
"Yes, my love?" I answer sweetly. 'Cause I know he is not happy now that I haven't answered two of his calls.
"What the fuck has you not answering me?" he grumbles like the darling he is.
"I've been busy Sugar," I tell him honestly an Abby gives me a kind smile that says 'aw.'
Yeah, if only she knew the language that comes out of his mouth. But I wouldn't want him any other way.
"Busy enough to not fuckin' answer me?"
"What's wrong?" I ask softly, detecting a certain extra tint of rude in his mood.
"When are you coming home?" he sighs, obviously not answering my question. I furrow my eyebrows and take the phone away from my ear to check the time.
"I'll be home in a bit," I tell him.
"When's a bit?" he says nearly bitterly.
Someone needs to cool their jets.
I stand from my seat for a little more privacy and I walk away a small distance.
"Who am I to you?"
"What?" he questions.
"What am I to you?"
"Girlfriend," he answers.
"Okay, but the way you're talking to me doesn't make me sound like I am."
"Sorry," he mumbles.
"I'll be home soon, goodbye," I hang up on him and huff, returning to my seat.
"Is that your boyfriend?" she smiles.
"Yes," I nod, "he's just being a bit difficult at the moment."
"Oh, I know how that is," she pats my arm.
So is this girl talk? 'Cause it's freaking cool.
"I should really get going, I have homework and stuff that I've procrastinated enough on," she stands and I follow.
"I can check out your books for you," I lead her back to the register where I scan her books for her.
We exchange numbers and I almost have to hold my breath in excitement.
Did I make a friend?! I made a friend!
Jake would be so proud of me.
~~~
If I was physically able to skip, I would. Of course, my knee is a crackhead so I can't but I skip metaphorically.
I walk into Grey's place and shut the door behind me. Bear nearly attacks me with kisses and when he flops over, I rub his belly happily.
Grey mosies into the living room and I give him a sweet smile. I walk to him and we hug.
"I made a friend," I tell him excitedly when we pull away. He pulls me up to him and he kisses me.
He lets out a small grunt and I deflate a bit. I wasn't expecting much, but a little more than a grunt.
"Her name is Abby and she's really nice," I add, following him as he walks into the kitchen and grabs a water bottle, drinking half of it, and not really paying much attention to me.
I try and ignore the little pang that it sends me.
"Grey, really, what's wrong?" I question softly, placing my hand on his back.
"Nothing," he shakes his head. I remove my hand and only saunter away. If he doesn't want to talk, whatever. But he needs to not take it out on me if he won't tell me the problem.
But he's kept all of his feelings to himself for so long. He's used to only dealing with things by himself. But now I'm here. And I care.
I take a seat on the couch and go on Netflix headed straight for the scary movies section. For some reason, it's Grey's favorite. He shows no interest in almost any genre except horror. It keeps him interested and it keeps me freaked out.
Grey follows me after a few seconds and instead of sitting right up beside me, usually leaning into me, he takes a seat beside me, not touching me.
I bite my lip in confusion.
I pat the spot beside me and Bear jumps up, taking Grey's usual spot. I cuddle him instead of Grey.
I didn't even realize I was drifting off until I'm woken up by the door opening. I blink my eyes and spot Grey entering and shutting the main door behind him.
I sit up and stretch my arms.
"I didn't know you left," I mumble, "you should've told me, I would've gone with you."
"Didn't know I had to tell you," he grumbles and a feeling of hurt I haven't felt in a while washes over me.
I need my big girl britches I think.
"How long have I been asleep?" I question.
"I wasn't counting," he rolls his eyes, "remind me to next time."
I pinch my arm to prevent my eyes from watering.
"Maybe if you tell me what's wrong then it'll help and you won't still be upset. I promise I'll listen and try my best to make you feel better," I explain softly, trying to keep my voice from wavering.
"It's none of your fuckin' business anyways," he turns a gives me a quick glare. One I hadn't seen in forever. I grasp my heart in a way to tell it to stop deflating painfully.
I duck tape my big girl britches on myself.
"You're making it my business by taking it out on me," I tell him strongly, standing from the couch and walking over to him.
"Just tell me and I can help you. Why aren't you telling me?" I question.
"Just like you wouldn't tell me about your dad?" he says bitterly and I take a step back, shocked.
Why would he bring that up?
"Remember how you were supposed to tell me everything? You couldn't even tell anyone your own dad was hitting you, I can keep whatever the fuck I want from you," he nearly sneers.
"You're not entitled," he adds.
My chest constricts in the worst possible way. I blink the blinding tears from my eyes but eventually, they're too heavy to blink away.
I glare up at him and his face softens as he looks over the tears on my face.
"The one person who's here for you is standing right in front of you, caring about how you feel," I keep my voice strong even though my face is crumbling, "and you take it out on me?"
"I might have let you talk to me that way before but I'm not doing it anymore," I poke his chest only once. Not twice like I usually do but once.
"I had reasons for keeping things from you and you know what those reasons are so there's no point in bringing it up just to make yourself feel better."
"You will not talk to me like I'm nothing," I warn him, "you might do that to other people but not to me."
He remains quiet only looking at me.
Is this what it's going to be like every time he gets upset? Is he going to take it out on me?
Maybe we just need to take a ten-minute breather and come back?
I pick up my car keys and my jacket.
"Where're you going? You've got nowhere to go," he adds fuel to the fire and I feel steam coming out of my ears.
"You think I don't know that? I left my mom alone to stay here with you," I wipe my tears angrily.
"But I'm sure she'd enjoy my company if I suddenly decided to join her," I know I shouldn't have said it but I'm in my last line of defense.
"Don't threaten me with that bullshit," he shakes his head, the glare still present.
Would I go up there with her? I don't even know at this point. I'm not regretting staying with Grey here but at the moment my heart is halfway through a shredder.
"Don't make me."
"So all this shit's my fault? You had no part, sticking your fucking nose in my business," he sends me a mean look.
What made him get like this?
"What do you want from me Grey?" I question, "Do you want me to not care about you or your feelings? You want me to not ask you about you or how you're feeling?"
"Stay fucking out of it," he glares.
"I'm done," I slam my keys back onto the table. I can't stay out of it. It's impossible for me. I guess he doesn't get that.
I take off his sweatshirt and I throw it onto the ground at his feet. Next, I take off his shirt that I put on before taking my small nap. He watches me with no sign of a glare now.
I don't even care that I'm standing in front of him in just my bra and pair of shorts. I hope he gets a good look at me because he's only going to be reminded of this.
I rush into the bedroom and grab a random shirt that's mine, not his. When I walk back out he's still standing in the same place, looking down at his clothes that are on the floor.
I yank my scrunchie off his wrist.
"You need to take a while and figure yourself out before trying to figure having a relationship out. I'm not going to sit here and take you talking to me like this," I advise him.
"I've dealt with things like that too much in my life and I'm not about to continue," I add.
"Azalea," he says softly, "please don't-"
"I don't want to hear it Grey. We're done."
I don't think I could ever forget the look on his face when I said that to him. But It's true. We're done.
I care too much not to ask. And if he can't handle that then he's just not ready for a relationship. With me at least.
I sob on the way down to my car, ifting my shirt and covering my face. I can't imagine what he's doing at the moment. Is he relieved? Is he happy? Does he care?
Where am I gonna go?
? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?
Yikes, I'll just leave this here.
Updating Wednesday, I promise. I'm sorry for the wait. Y'all know that saying 'sad boi hours' well I've had a slight sad boi week lmao. But we're all good and I appreciate y'all's concern!
I usually stay away from the whole 'underlying' themes thing but I feel like it's important here.
Next chapter coming soon!
*Not edited*
Word count: 2770
-Ashlyn Montgomery