Growing Up Might Bring Us Down

After finding empty boxes and packing up all my necessary items into them, I sat back down on the bed and dialed Gabi’s number.

“Gab,” I said after she answered with the typical “Hello.”

“Nattie?” she rhetorically questioned, “Where are you?” she sounded worried, like a mother who lost their child.

“At Halvo’s.” I simply answered, wanting to get to the point of my phone call.

“Wh-“ She started, but I cut her off, I didn’t have much time before my cab came to pick me up.

“Kenny and Jared took John out for the day; they’ll be back much later.” I answered her unfinished question.

She didn’t understand the reason for me telling her that piece of information, “Okay, so…”

“I need you to do me a favor.” I bluntly stated.

“Kay, shoot.”

“There’s going to be a few boxes in my closet here, can you take them over to my aunt’s tomorrow?” I asked hopefully.

Her mood changed from happiness to uncertainty; “Nat, I don’t know…” she trailed off once again.

“Please, Gab.” I begged, “Or get Kennedy and Eric to do it. I just need to get this stuff out of here.”

“Alright, fine.” She gave in easier than I thought she would have.

“Thank you.” I replied, “Love you!”

“Love you too, Nattie.” She said before I hung up the phone.

I tucked my phone in my jeans pocket and grabbed my purse off of the bedside table, along with the canvas shopping bag filled with the things that I didn’t think to pack up that last time.

At the top of the stairs I looked over to the door in the corner on my right. Curiosity got the better of me and I went to the door. I wanted to know what was behind there, just like my own room. I wanted to know if he changed everything around, or kept everything the way it was when we first decorated it.

My hand hovered over the icy knob, when a honk sounded from out front. I turned on my heels and descended the staircase, deciding that I didn’t want to know, nor did I think I could handle seeing the contents of his room.

I got in the back of the cab and I was on my way back to the apartment.
__________________________________________________________________________

“Hey, Nat.” Gab greeted me from her place on the couch and her phone glued to her ear. I figured she was talking to Rach, considering she said “Rach says ‘hi’” following her own greeting.

I went to the guest room and shoved away all the dirty-turned-clean clothes, thanks to Gab doing laundry today, away in my duffle bag.

“Wait, Nat. You’re not staying?” She was now in my doorway, blocking it so I couldn’t leave until she got her questions answered, her arms folded over her chest and a serious face adorned her features.

“I have to go back and take finals.” I replied seriously. It wasn’t the actual reason, but it was a true fact at that.

I walked over to her, my duffle in hand, the cab waiting for me outside. She stood up straight and opened her arms for me to walk into them. “Alright, love.” She said, hugging me, “Good luck. I’ll see you soon.” She whispered lovingly with hope in my ear.

Shakily I answered, “I-I don’t know about that, Gab.”

“Hon, I will see you soon.” She didn’t argue that fact; she demanded it, which meant that it would have to happen. “You need help, and Rach and I will be here for you, Kenny too.” She said with a smile, letting me go.

I replied honestly, “Thanks, but, I really don’t want to be back here.”

“Oh we can handle John, don’t worry about it. We’ll get a restraining order against him.” She winked and we both smirked a little bit.

“Thanks, Gab.” I hugged her one last time, and pulled away saying, “I have to get to the airport. I guess I’ll see you in a few weeks then.”

“Yes you will.” She agreed. “Remember that you’re always welcome here.”

I was almost at the front door now, “Kay. Thanks. Bye.”

“Bye, lovie.”

“Don’t forget to move my stuff out!” I yelled behind me, knowing that if I didn’t remind her now then she wouldn’t do it at all.

I heard the smile in her voice, “I won’t.”
__________________________________________________________________________

Hours later it was early in the evening and I was sitting in my dorm room with Vanessa eating Ramen out of the Styrofoam cups. We were sitting on our own beds, our backs resting up against the pale white wall, facing one another.

“So how’d it go?” She asked to break our dinnertime silence.

I was confused as to what she was referring to, “What go?”

Vanessa rolled her eyes at my lack of understanding, “Telling Daddy-Douche about the kid.”

I placed my plastic spork in the cup and sighed, recalling those encounters that were not that long ago, but felt like forever ago, “He called me a slut, and then came crawling back the next day claiming to wanting to help and be in the kids life.” I said it all in one breath, then picked the spork back up, continuing to eat.

“Damn.” Nessa said. “I seriously think he’s on coke or weed.”

I shrugged, “I wouldn’t put it past him nowadays.”

Her mouth dropped open momentarily, “I was kidding!” Then she changed the subject of our conversation, “You ready for your first final?”

“Yeah,” I said, “I have two tomorrow, and then one on Thursday, and one on Friday, and then I’m done for the year.”

“That’s great.” She nodded, before again changing the subject, “So, do you know who you’re gonna room with yet?” she asked, pertaining to what I’m going to do after school ends in a week when I need somewhere to live.

I nodded unsurely, “I have a feeling.”

“Yeah?” she questioned, wanting me to elaborate so that she knew I was going to be in good hands.

“Yeah.” I replied, not wanting to tell her because she really wouldn’t approve of my semi-decision.

“Cool.” She smiled back at me, “When you find out for sure, lemme know. Imma gonna come visit ya!”

“You better, bitch,” I retorted, “I don’t think I could go a whole summer without seeing your face.”

We both laughed, and that was the end of that. We finished our dinner, showered, and climbed into bed to face the grueling finals for the rest of the week before we’re free to go about our separate ways for the summer.