Remember that I will always be here for you no matter what. You’re my best friend. Forever!!
Love,
Moon
I stepped out of the car and shut the door behind me. As bad as I couldn’t breathe before it was worse now. His letter touched my heart and he had no idea how much I missed him, but he couldn’t help me now. No one could help me. The tears fell down fast and hard. Before I knew what I was doing I had already walked half the path and was nearing close to the mill. Suddenly I realized that I wasn’t ready for that. Turning around quickly, I ran as fast as I could back to my car. I turned the stereo up as loud as it would go and pulled out of the parking lot at full speed. I would go home take a few extra pills and try to sleep away these feelings.
11
Moon
She didn’t realize that I followed her from school. I saw her pull into the old drive-in parking lot and my heart just about beat out of my chest. What was she doing here? I parked across the street at the Gas n Go hoping that she wouldn’t catch me. My mustang was loud and I cut the engine off as soon as I got it parked. Trying not to be seen, I slouched down in my seat. If she had seen me she didn’t let me know it. The minutes past by like hours and it was unsettling. It was like waiting in your room for your parents to come serve you your punishment. I wiped the sweat from my eyebrow and kept my eyes on her car. I was looking for any kind of movement.
She opened the door to her car and out she came. She had my letter in her hands and she was waving her arms in the air while she paced. I couldn’t see her face from where I was sitting but by the way she was moving I could tell she was upset. It wasn’t exactly the reaction that I was going for. Really I was hoping she would come running to me with open arms, guess I was wrong again. What is she doing? She was heading back our trail, the one that led to papaw’s farm. My head was going back and forth. I couldn’t decide if I should chase after her or not. Running my hands down the sides of my jeans, I decided what the hell. I am going. I closed the door as quietly as I could and started across the parking lot. When I reached the edge of the road about to cross the street, I saw her running back. My feet quit moving. I was glued to the spot and couldn’t move. God, I hope she doesn’t see me. She got into her car and peeled out. I didn’t even get a chance to talk to her and make sure she was okay, before she hauled ass.
Two weeks passed and she still had not responded to my letter. She didn’t call, text or write me. I didn’t get a hello or a fuck you. Afraid that she would run, I never risked talking to her. I let her be, even when her birthday passed. I sent her a happy birthday text but I got no response. I didn’t figure I would. I thought the two of us would be partying hard on her eighteenth birthday, but I got a HELL NO in the form of zero text messages. Mom even took her a cake, but Lizzie said that she wasn’t feeling well and that she was spending the day in bed. This is what I am talking about. Who spends their eighteenth birthday in the fucking bed?
I decided to talk to mom about her, as bad as I didn’t want to. She would worry about her, especially when I tell her what kind of shape she’s in. I would be in an awkward position, but someone has to know. Maybe mom would talk to her parents and see if someone could get through to her. In the meantime, I have to come up with a plan to get her to pay me some attention. I’m not sure exactly what yet, but something has to work.
Mom was at the house when I got home from school. I told her that morning that I wanted to talk about Shine and she promised she would be there when I got home.
“Ryker, is that you?” Mom asked as I walked in the door.
“Yeah Mom, it’s me.”
“I’m in the kitchen, Baby. You hungry?” She asked.
“Starving,” I kissed her cheek.
“There is a pot roast and taters in the cooker over on the countertop.”
“It smells good.”
“The cooker is doing the cooking, not me, but thank you. Come on, let’s sit over here and you can tell me what’s been bothering you.” She motioned for me to follow her to the bar stools.
I let out a long sigh before I could even start talking.
“That bad huh?” she patted my shoulder.
“It’s real bad, Momma. Shine is sick. She is really sick and she won’t talk to me and I don’t know what to do.” The words came out of me so fast I wasn’t sure if she could even keep up.
“Okay, how about we start from the beginning and you slow it down for me?” She shook her head and it made me smile. Momma was a tiny little thing. People would flock to her, like flies to honey. You can’t help but love her. She is the sweetest woman and everyone in this town knows her and loves her. You wouldn’t know she was my momma by looking at her. She stands right over five feet tall and has blond hair and green eyes. I am six foot three with brown hair and blue eyes. We are like night and day. The only way to tell that I belong to her is by the dimples in our cheeks. Our smiles match exactly.