Breaking Down the Unbreakable

"He just left?" Ali had been pacing back and forth asking the same questions for the last hour.
"Yes." I was flopped down one of the beds in the room we were sharing for the night. I really just wanted to get to sleep, but at this rate, I didn't think sleep would be coming anytime soon.
"And he didn't say why?"
"No." I didn't even need to hear the next question to know I wouldn't know the answer
"Why would he do that?" Finally, after repeating her questions at least 20 times or more, she fell onto the bed next to me propped up on her elbows.
"Al, I told you, I don't know. I told you what happened. Dominic gave him the phone, he talked and then said he was sorry but he had to leave."
"He just left?" Holy crap!
"YES!" I flew off the bed and started my own pacing. "I don't understand it anymore than you do. I mean one minute he was hugging me, and the next he was running away."
"Hugging?"
"Yeah. I told you that part."
"No you didn't!"
"Yes I did. I told you about the garden and the fountain and the adorable and the hug and the kiss and the sister."
"Kiss?"
"Yes. Dude, you need your ears checked."
And just like that, Ali had forgotten that he'd left. She'd forgotten that I didn't know why.
So I recounted the whole scene for her for the 3rd time that night. It was well after 3 in the morning, and I was having trouble keeping my eyes open.
"And that's when he left."
"I can't believe he just left."
"Ali! It's almost 4. I have to be home before noon tomorrow, remember?"
"Oh I'm sorry." She gave me a hug and slinked over to her bed on the other die of the room. "Well, just fall asleep thinking about the kiss, and everything will be fine."
"I don't think it works like that." I didn't want to be happy, but Ali had that effect on people where even when they don't want to smile they end up laughing.
"Who cares. I'm Amazing Ali and I say it works like that!" She flipped the lights off, so the only sources of light were the fading stars and the sun that was threatening to emerge from over the mountain tops. "Goodnight, Riley"
"Good Morning, Ali." And I was asleep in no more than 5 seconds.
And that's how long it felt like I was asleep. I tried to keep my eyes closed just a little longer to try to hold onto the dream I'd been having, but Ali wasn't going to let that happen.
"Riley! You're going to be late, and I'm not going to let you blame me! So you better get your little ass out of bed!" She didn't sound very close, but I knew if I didn't move I wasn't going to like the consequences. So I sucked up my pride and my pain and opened my eyes.
"You suck!"
"Not exactly, but whatever you say." I found her standing in the bathroom brushing her teeth. "Good thing you woke up though. I was going to go downstairs and get some ice water for you as soon as I was done brushing."
"You are evil." I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "What time is it?"
"Almost 11. I figured if I tried to wake you any earlier, you'd kill me." She laughed after rinsing her mouth out and walking back into the room. "You better hope Seth doesn't see you when you wake up, 'cause sweetie, you look like hell."
"Shut up!" I threw the covers off and went to find some clothes to put on. When I was finally dressed in my jeans and a tank, I threw my hair up into a messy bun and went to wash my face.
"Your cell rang about an hour ago. I didn't look to see who it was, but it rang."
"Thanks." I dried my face and went to find my phone in the tangles of my sheets and my clothes.
I flipped it open and found a missed call from my grandpa. After dialing my voicemail, I listened as his voice filled my ear.
"Morning Hija! Hope you had fun last night, I just wanted to make sure you remember that you have to be home by noon so we can get some cleaning done." I threw the phone on the bed before the message could finish. Chances are he'd ramble on about something random for a few minutes before saying, "Me encanta Hija. See you soon."
I grabbed all of my clothes and threw them into a bag, then I grabbed Evan's dress and took it into her room, laying it on her bed.
"You can have it." Evan was standing behind me smiling. "I never wore it. It was a gift from my parents when they didn't make a parent-teacher conference a few years back. I think you should have something to remember your first high school party."
I gave her a hug and hung the dress over my arm before finding Ali again, and heading out to the car to be driven home again.
When I got home, I was greeted with a cleaning frenzy. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew better than to mess with Papa when he's cleaning, so I just jumped right in and helped. Because cleaning actually helps me work off stress or emotions.
And after a night like mine, I had some major emotions. So we cleaned. I got home at noon on the dot and I cleaned. I cleaned the bathroom (gross) and the kitchen and I vacuumed and I took out the trash and then I moved on to my room. By the time I'd finally finished unpacking everything I'd still had sitting in suitcases it was about 5:30. I threw the suitcases under my bed and went to take a shower. I needed one.
I stood under the water letting the steam pour down my back and I started singing. My shower, in my room, where no one else could hear me was the one place I would sing by myself. And so I did. I would let out the random lines to random song that popped into my head.
But today I could only think of the words to one song. Crush by David Archuleta.
I turned off the water, and wrapped a towel around my body before opening the door to grab some clothes. It took a second for the steam to clear, but when it did, I felt like hiding under a rock.
Right there in my room, on my bed, in skinny jeans and a plain green T was Seth Rider.
And right there in the bathroom doorway, I stood. In nothing but a towel.
And I was waiting for the anvil to fall out of the sky that said ACME on it, because I knew this had to be a dream. No! This was a nightmare!