Seventeen and Invincible

“Anika, get up!” my mother yelled from the first floor of our once-nice-now-rundown house. I sighed into my pillow and buried myself deeper in my blankets and sheets. I ignored her and drifted back to sleep.

“Wake up sleepy head,” he called plopping down on my bed next to me. “It’s Friday. Tomorrow is the weekend and you can sleep late.”

“No.” I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled my turquoise quilt over my head.

“You have to get up,” he sighed. I moaned and shook my head in protest. I did not want to get out of bed. I did not want to get ready for school. I did not want to go to school. “Just get up and come to school for me.” I shook my head and he reached to pull the quilt away from my face. “You haven’t moved in four days, Ani.” I continued to ignore him, staring into the dark depths of my pillow. “You have to get up and do something. Even if you don’t go to school, do something. I’ll skip with you and we can go see a movie or something. Please?” I rolled over to stare at my ceiling.

“I don’t want to go anywhere Garrett. I’m sorry.” I glanced quickly to meet his eyes and see the sorrow etched into them.

“Please?” he sighed. “We’ll go shopping, I’ll take you out for ice cream. I’ll do whatever you want.” I rolled over to face away from him and the bright sunlight shining through my windows.

“Can you take back what he did?” I sighed. “Can you get rid of the pain? He was my first boyfriend and he lied and cheated on me.”

“I know,” he sighed rubbing my back, “I can’t take away the pain of what he did, but I’m sorry.” I rolled back over to face him.

“I’m just so embarrassed,” I sighed. “I thought he loved me. I thought it would last.”

“I know, but you can’t stay in here forever. You have to face it sometime.” I buried my head into his shirt to hide.

“I don’t want to. I just want to forget.” I sighed as he slid closer to me. “I just want to forget about seeing them together. I want to forget about her.”

“I know you do. I know that what happened sucks and that he never deserved you. You need to move on Anika. You can’t just stay in bed and cry.” I pulled away from him annoyed. I jerked away again when he tried to pull me back.

“Yes I can! Do you know how humiliating it is to know that he and I have been broken up for only a week and she’s two months pregnant?” I collapsed back into my pillow in tears.

“She’s pregnant?” he asked softly. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry. That sucks.” I could tell by the way he spoke that his features had softened.

“That’s why he broke up with me. He said he wanted to end it now instead of dragging it out and making it worse.” I felt Garrett wrap his arms around my small frame and pick me up and into a hug. “I’m so stupid! I should have known better. I should have seen this coming.”

“Anika, you haven’t done anything wrong. Evan’s the one who fucked up. So stop moping around please. We’re all worried about you. Mia’s freaking out because you haven’t answered any texts or calls and the guys, Pat especially, are on my ass about this. They think I’m not trying, but we both know that I am.”

“Garrett,” I said weakly, “you’re my best friend in the entire world and I love you to death, but I really, really, really don’t want to go anywhere. I especially don’t want to go to school.”

“I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. So, if I have to, I will do everything from pick out your clothes and physically put them on you, to brushing your hair and teeth for you until you give in and do it on your own.” I sighed and fought against him.

“I haven’t washed my hair in four days. If you just brush it it’ll look greasy.”

“Then I’ll wash it too.” I rolled my eyes. “Okay, deal—you go shower and I’ll pick out clothes for you, since I know how much you hate doing that, and I’ll even dry your hair for you.” I shook my head ‘no’ quietly. “Please?” I rolled my eyes and rolled away from him.

“Fine, I’ll go shower, but my hair had better be pin straight when you’re done with it.”

“Isn’t it always?” I laughed and climbed slowly out of bed. I was tired. I had spent four days in bed, but in that time I had hardly slept. In those four days the only time I got up was to use the bathroom and drink water from the faucet in my bathroom. I hadn’t even ventured down the stairs and no one had ventured their way up here to see me, save for Garrett.

“We’re going to IHOP for breakfast and we aren’t going anywhere near school.” He nodded and I walked toward my bathroom, stopping in the doorway to turn around. “Thanks,” I said giving him a small, forced smile. He nodded again with a smile. “You’re the best friend I ever could’ve asked for.”