Let My Heart Rest In Pieces

Let My Heart Rest In Pieces 084

Make The Best Of It

“We are the luckiest people in the world! Since you have such a nice place to stay in, I won’t have to buy you silly things like a fridge to keep your food in, and since we don’t have to waste money on that you can afford to buy real food instead of cheap noodles!”

I laughed softly and let my father keep talking about how lucky I was when it came to my soon coming college move. I agreed with him, because I knew I was lucky, but the talk about moving away was a little hard to handle. Yeah, I had a full ride to my college; yeah, they were giving me a nice place to stay, and I was lucky for all this, but I was leaving my life behind. Like I had done almost a year ago.

For some reason, this move seemed harder. My dad was staying behind in our New Jersey home, so I was leaving him. I was also separating from Jeremy. His college choice was a local college because it was offering him everything he wanted. And it’s not like my friends could come with me.

“And think of all the things you’ll do afterwards! You could travel all over the country or in other—“

“I’ll miss you Dad,” I interrupted, biting my lip to stop myself from tearing up. He stopped blabbering on and on and just looked at me, his eyes wide.

“V…”

“I’ve been with you for all my life, leaving the nest just seems wrong. Who’s going to wake me up when I’m late, or gossip with me about our favorite shows? I’m going to miss you so much.”

Dad instantly pulled me into his arms for a hug and it was tight enough to make it harder to breathe. I didn’t care, just hugged him back just as tight.

“I’ll miss you too Envy. You’re my only little baby; it’s going to be weird having no one in the house anymore. You’re going to see me running around town trying to steal people’s children.”

I let out a watery laugh and pulled away, looking at his face. I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

“Sorry to ruin the mood, but I have to go to work now, then I’m going to see Jeremy’s band play. We’ll see you here for dinner.”

He kissed the top of my head before letting me go. “I’ll see you back here then. Be safe.”

“I will.”

The drive to Unlimited Sound never took that long, so I was there in ten or so minutes. As I walked into the store, it wasn’t very busy, which was the usual. Some of the customers were people who came in here regularly, like an older man by the name of Owen, and I said hello to them before going behind the counter. Romeo stood next to me and gave a side hug.

“Hello there, Juliet!”

I laughed at his nickname for me—something he had thought was clever when he found out or schedules always seemed to be the opposite, so he called us the star-crossed lovers—and smiled at him.

“Hey Romeo, how’s it going?”

“It’s really slow around here, but it’s Sunday, what can you expect?”

“Why go to church when you can come to a music store?” I joked.

“I think Jesus would understand.”

“Okay Romeo, your break is over! Get back here and help me with inventory!” Ray shouted from the back. I winced.

“Have fun working in the Dungeon,” I said, patting the man’s back. He sighed, nodding his head.

“Bye Juliet.”

I shook my head while watching him walk into the back then turned to the front. Bob was in the front of the store, talking to a man who seemed displeased over something, and I didn’t envy the situation. Some people got real serious when it came to their music. Some could get vicious; I had seen my fair share of those people.

Lisa was also there, but she was helping a happier looking customer, digging through the tons of CDs for something precious. One or two other people seemed to just be looking around out of boredom, and I understood what Romeo had meant by slow.

It stayed like that for about an hour and a half, just a slow but nothing too bad. I chatted with the people who came up for a purchase, and sometimes left the register to help someone. I did everything out of habit and found myself extremely bored. That changed as soon as three people walked through the door.

“Thank the Virgin Mary, I have entertainment!”

Scott laughed at my reaction, pushing his strangely colored hair out of his face. I gave a smile to Adam, the one out of the three that I wasn’t that close to, then smiled shyly at Jeremy. He gave me a wink and leaned over the counter to give me a kiss.

“Get a room!”

“We’re in on, you’re just occupying it,” I retorted.

“Find a more private room then,” Scott suggested while I snorted.

“It would be private if everyone left.”

“If I didn’t know you were friends, I’d think you two hated each other,” Adam chuckled, shaking his head.

“Little do you know, I really do hate him,” I mumbled. Jeremy laughed at the comment and sat up on the counter.

“When do you get off work?” he questioned. I gave him a face.

“I got here, like, two hours ago! I have a long time left.”

“Ugh, but Envy!”

“Go take it up with Bob, he makes the schedules.”

Adam shook his head repeatedly. “No way man, that guy is scary!”

I blinked at the man because of that comment then looked at Scott, who was giving me the same look.

“What are you talking about? Bob is the nicest guy in the world. How is he scary?”

“I’ve seen things you haven’t. I’m not going to ask him for a favor.”

I laughed while shaking my head, wondering if he had gotten my boss mixed up with another blonde. Bob was nothing but nice and fun.

“I’ll be done around three; can you wait that long?”

“I guess,” the boy sighed, picking up one of the magazines lying on the counter top. I pushed him off his ass when I was a customer come over to buy a couple of CDs. Shoving him away, I smiled at the woman.

“Will that be all, ma’am?”

She nodded her head with her own smile, placing the plastic cases down so I could scan them in. As the two of us were making small talk, Jeremy surprised me by coming behind the counter to kiss me quickly and grin.

“We’re leaving no, see you at three. I love you.”

My face could not get any redder, even if I tried. Was he purposely trying to embarrass me in front of this woman?

“I love you too,” I mumbled, ducking my head down to hide my face. I heard him laughing until he left the store. I was quiet now as I ran up the customer’s things.

“Your boyfriend, I am guessing?” the woman asked me and I could hear the smile in her voice.

“Yeah, that idiot.”

“He’s sweet. And you two look good together.”

I was wrong; my face could get redder. I thanked her for the compliment anyway and bid her goodbye. I was going to kill that gorgeous blonde.

~~~~~~

“Wow, I never knew you were living this kind of life,” I breathed, looking around at what the man called his music room. There wasn’t much else to call it.

It was a nice, spacious room that had different kinds of instruments leaning in their cases against the wall. Those were mostly guitars and one very large drum set at the back, looking new, sparkly, and ready to be played. A keyboard stood not too far away from it, looking just as new.

“This place is fucking awesome!” I squealed, turning back to the group of three. They all grinned at me.

“That was our reaction when we came here.”

“How can you afford all of this?” I asked Scott. He actually looked embarrassed before he answered.

“My parents owned this house since I was a kid and left it to me when they moved down to Florida.”

“And we never have parties here, why?”

They ignored that comment and got their instruments, starting to tune and other boring things. I sat in a leather office chair, trying not to take up too much room so they had more. Wheeling over to the keyboard, I stopped and played a random assortment of notes.

“Having fun?”

Looking up, I gave Jeremy, who was teasing me, a bland look.

“Yes, I am, leave me alone.”

“You’re such a child.”

“And you’re such a jerk,” I retorted.

“Can you actually play the piano?” Adam asked.

“Eh, kind of; I’ve known all the basics since I was a kid, but I’ve only started playing harder pieces this year.”

I played a melody of one of the few songs I had in my memory and smiled at the man.

“But I’m nothing close to a professional. I’m more of a singer.”

“We should replace Jeremy with Envy. I think female singers are more popular.”

“Hey!” Jeremy whined, giving us all a pouty face.

“Nah, too much testosterone; plus, I’m too good for you guys,” I said with a smirk, still playing with the keyboard.

“She’s vicious Jeremy. How do you live with her?”

It was my turn to say “Hey!” while my boyfriend laughed at me.

“It’s hard, but it is worth it. She puts up with my shit.”

“Damn right I do,” I grumbled. Jeremy kissed the top of my head. I glared but didn’t protest.

“Can we practice now?” Adam chuckled. The other boys nodded their heads, strumming—for Adam’s case beating—for a moment.

“Ready!”

“Should I cover my ears?

“Shut up Envy.”

“Scott, you’re so rude!”

~~~~~~

“Admit it.”

“No.”

“Admit it.”

“No!”

“Admit—“

“Fine!” I shouted, laughing at the same time, “I, Envy Moore, admit that your band is amazing.”

Jeremy gave me a quick look and a smile before he turned his eyes back to the road. We were leaving Scott’s house, it now being six, to come home where my father was making dinner for us all.

“Was that so hard to say?”

“No, but you know I like to be a pain in the ass.”

The comment made him laugh until we were getting out of the car. He kept breathing out this it was “so true”. I didn’t think it was that funny.

“What’s Jeremy laughing at?” my father asked, cocking one of his eye brows at the blonde.

“A stupid joke,” I said, cutting it off there. He nodded, though he still gave the teen a weird look.

“What’s for dinner?”

“Chicken a la yummy.”

And he was giving my boyfriend weird looks. I rolled my eyes at the silly name he had given, but smiled at him anyway.

“Then let’s get to eating. Go set the table Jeremy.”

He looked bewildered that I asked him to do such a thing. “Why do I have to set the table?”

“Because my father cooked and I worked. You haven’t done anything.”

“I’m a guest!” was his excuse.

“Please, you’re here most of the week. Go set the table.”

He did, though he told me more than once that it was begrudgingly and only because he loved me. I said I loved him too—without a blush this time—and told him to keep working.

Even though he kept bitching about it, it was done quick enough that we were eating roasted chicken with cheesy mashed potatoes and green beans before long.

My father asked Jeremy and I about out day. I told him about how slow and boring work had been, but I had been happy to not have been doing inventory in the “dungeon” like Romeo had. I even told him what the older woman had said about Jeremy and I. I actually got Jeremy to blush. Dad just agreed with the stranger.

Jeremy then told my father about how he had spent his day. He had done some homework for our English class, and essay that I had finished a week ago, then went to spend most of the day with Adam and Scott. The blonde told about how he had embarrassed me at the store, and finished off his story with the band practice.

“I agree with Scott; Envy should totally be the face of the band.”

“You guys are jerks!”

I laughed at my boyfriend’s reaction, patting his knee while I ate my chicken. He pouted, but stuffed his face along with me.

“Oh, V! The college called earlier,” Dad said, and my whole body tensed, “they said that they’re happy you plan to go to their school. They have this condition that you have to attend some summer classed maybe two weeks or so after graduation, so they want you to fly over.”

“What college?” Jeremy asked, looking extremely confused.

“Pepperdine University,” Dad replied, frowning, “didn’t Envy tell you she was going to college over in California?”

“No, I hadn’t told him yet,” I sighed, making sure not to make eye contact with either of the men. Fuck, why did I always mess good things up in my life?

“Oh,” was all the older man had to say.

Needless to say, the few minutes that were left for dinner were quiet and awkward between us. When we were all finished with our meals, Dad offered to clean up, leaving us alone.

I pushed my chair away from the table, still not looking at Jeremy. “Let’s just go up to my room.”

Seeing as I wasn’t looking at him, I didn’t know if he nodded his head or not, but I led him up the stairs and sat on my bed before he even closed the door.

I only looked up at Jeremy when I felt him sit down across from me on the bed. He looked completely calm and collected. I know that he didn’t really that way; it was just something he did when he was upset. I cursed in my head

“When were you planning on telling me that you were moving across the country to go to college?”

“Soon, after everything had been settled with the school.”

“What if that process took a while?” Jeremy question, “what if they had taken another month? Would you not have told me until then?”

“No, I wouldn’t make you wait that long, I just wanted to be sure it was happening. I have a full ride for all four years, a place to stay, and I don’t have to pay for any of it. It was kind of like a dream Jeremy. I haven’t told anyone about it yet.”

“Not even Roxy?”

I couldn’t help but smile; he knew me so well. “Not even Roxy.”

“I guess that makes me feel a little better,” he sighed, pushing his hair out of his face. I leaned over to hold one of his hands and he started to stroke my fingers.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“It’s not that you didn’t tell me,” he confessed, “It’s just that you’re moving far, far away. Thousands of miles away while I’m still over here. When we got together, I didn’t see this coming.”

“I’m not leaving because I want to,” I said, holding his hand tighter, “It’s just that this is the perfect offer. I didn’t get anything like this in Jew Jersey.”

Jeremy used my hand to pull me over to him so I could sit with my back against his front while his arms wrapped themselves around me. He held my tight while he kissed softly at my neck.

“This means we don’t have much time left together.”

“I know,” I replied, and I was sadder just thinking about it.

“I guess we just have to make the best of it.”