Tear Tracks Forever

I woke up that morning to someone shaking me. “Rhee? You awake?”
I opened my eyes and saw Solstice. “AHHHHH!!!” I screamed.

“AHHHHH!” Solstice screamed. Suddenly, the door to my room flew open, and a disheveled Alex stumbled in. “Rhee...What? It’s like five in the morning,” he yawned, rubbing his eyes, and then saw Solstice.

“AHHHHH!” he screamed. Then he paused as I sat up. “Who is that?” he asked pointing in Solstice’s direction.
“Oh, I met her yesterday at the boardwalk. Her name’s Solstice,” I told him.
“But…what is she doing in your room?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Solstice, what are you doing in my room?” I asked, turning to her and hopping out of bed.

“Well, Pepper and everyone was already up and out, soo I decided to come heere to spend my day with you,” Solstice flipped her hair, looking proud of herself and concluded her sentence in her Colombian accent.

“Okay…so nobody’s hurt or injured, so I can go back to bed?” Alex asked.
“Can I come with you?” Solstice winked flirtatiously.
“Umm, no,” Alex gave me a weird look and stepped out of the door, closing it.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her.
“I just told you,” she said.
“Yeah…but it’s 5:37 in the morning. You could have at least texted me or something.”
“I deed.”

I checked my texts, and sure enough, there were three unread texts from Solstice.

can I come over?

can I please come over? Rhee?

okayy I take that as a yes. I am on my way over.

I sighed, turning off the screen of my iPhone. Then a thought occurred to me.
“How did you know where I lived? And how did you get inside my house?”
“Girl, everyone knows where Alex Markin lives! And the back door was open.”
I sighed.

“Rhee, is there sometheeng wrong?’
“Umm, actually, there kind of is. Solstice, you’re awesome, and I definitely would want to be your friend and get to know you better, but you can’t just come into my house. You have to ask, or be invited over. It kind of scares me,” I said slowly.
“Ok. I am sorry, Rhee. Next time I will ask before I come. I know what you mean,” she said, smiling at me.

“Okay, so Solstice, maybe you could go back home and maybe I’ll call you over after lunch, okay?” I told her.

“Okay! Byee, Rhee!” she turned, her long, straight, waist length hair slapping her back as she happily walked away.

Okaayy, that was weird, was my last thought before I drowsily fell back asleep.

I woke up around 9:00, and got ready for my job. I ate a cupcake that I found on the kitchen counter and flipped through some old magazines of Mrs. Markin’s as I waited for Alex to finish getting ready and come downstairs.

A few minutes later, he grabbed his beloved surfboard from the side of the room and we rushed out the door. We walked for a few minutes in silence, until I said. “Wait. Stop, I’m cold.”
He waited as I pulled a Hollister hoody out of my beach bag and pulled it on over my baggy T shirt.

He frowned. “How can you be cold? It’s like 80 degrees outside.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just cold, okay?”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Chill. Okay.”
“I’m already chill,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself as we walked.
He rolled his eyes, and I stopped at the lifeguard stand. “Well, see ya soon!” I said as he grinned, waved at me, and then walked away.

I climbed up the ladder and then sighed, pulling a beach towel out of my bag and wrapping it around me as a makeshift blanket. Why was I so cold?
I shivered for the two hours that my shirt went on, until Alex came and got me.
He studied my face, frowning. “Dang, you look really pale and you have goosebumps all over you. Are you okay?”

“I don’t know. I-I feel dizzy, my stomach and head hurt, and I’m really cold,” I chattered.
“Okay, well, let Mom take your temperature and then you can take some Tylenol or whatever,” Alex said, picking up my bag and waiting for me to climb down the ladder. I kept my towel wrapped around my shoulders.
“Thanks,” I told him.
“For what?” he asked, confused.
“For holding my bag,” I said, gesturing toward him holding my beach bag.
“Oh. No problem,” he said, shrugging.

We walked into the house, and Alex called out “Mom?”
“Yes, honey?” a voice came from the kitchen.
“I think Rhee’s sick. Do you ant to take her temperature?’ Alex called out.
Mrs. Markin came rushing into the room with a thermometer.
She took my temperature and found it was 99.9. “Just a little fever. here, I’ll give you some Tylenol and Motrin and then I want you to go to sleep, okay?” she nursed.
“Okay,” I mumbled. I took the medicine, and then climbed into bed. Just before I fell asleep, I texted Solstice.

hey, I’m sick, so I’m sorry u cant come over. maybe another time?

My iPhone vibrated immediately.

ok. hope yahh feel better!! how bout on thursday

Thursday was two days from now. I would be better by then.

thanxx. and that works.

I placed my phone on the table, closed my eyes and leaned my head against the soft pillow, and closed my eyes, disappearing into a world of dreams and nightmares.

*~*

Thursday

Solstice burst in through the front door, waving a flyer. “Rhee! Look!”
“What?” I asked, getting up off the couch where Alex and Carmella were sitting, mesmerized my SpongeBob.
“It’s a talent show! I am going to enter and do a trapeze act,” Solstice said proudly.

“Cool! I didn’t know you were a trapeze artist,” I said, amazed.
She nodded proudly. “Ah, yees, I am. I used to be on a team in Colombia, but then we moved here. I still practice in my basement though.”
“Cool! That’s awesome! Maybe I’ll dance or something,” I said.
“You dance?” she asked, surprised.
Mrs. Markin walked into the room, smiling. “Oh yes. We used to attend her ballet recitals since she was two years old!”

I grinned. “Yeah.”
Then I frowned. “But I don’t want to dance alone.”
“I can help you! I do dance too. What song?” Solstice asked.
“Umm, how about Closer by Ne-Yo? When’s the talent show?” I asked.

“That sounds great! I love that song. And eets een about a month or soo.”

“That’s more than enough time!”

“Great! Let’s go over to my house and practice!” she said.

“Okay. Hey, Alex, if it rains, can you come and pick me up?”

He didn’t even look up from the TV. “Okay.”

“Great! Let’s go!” Solstice grinned and rushed out the door, dragging me along with her.