Sequel: The Epilogue ›
A Place on My Pillow
.43
“I’m moving in with Darren,” Polly rushed out three weeks later. The three were situated around the kitchen table, light conversation carrying throughout the meal. As soon as she dropped the bomb, all conversation died, silverware clattered onto plates and two pairs of hazel eyes stared at Polly who wouldn’t look at anything but her meatloaf.
“WHAT?” they both yelped.
“You heard me,” she mumbled, suddenly very interested in the inside of her dinner.
“Why?” Alex asked.
“I’ve explained this bef-”
Polly didn’t get the chance to finish before Cady burst in, “And more importantly, why Darren? That guy is no good. I’ve tol-”
“I’m not a child, Cadence,” Polly finally snapped. Cady’s eyes were wide as Polly stood up suddenly, knocking her chair backwards. It tipped as Polly threw her dinner away and crashed the plastic plate into the sink. She stomped off, unanticipated upset, and into Alex’s room where she slammed the door hard and sank into his bed.
“What just happened?” Cady asked.
“I think we upset her,” Alex said obviously. Cady shot him a look and stood up, intending to fix whatever had just happened. Alex grabbed her arm as she passed and shook his head at her.
“I’ll talk to her,” Alex said softly.
“She’s less likely to throw a lamp at me,” Cady argued.
“Yes, but… still. I think I know how to fix this.”
Cady gestured towards her brother’s bedroom and let him go. He let himself in and walked across the room after shutting the door. He lay down with his best friend and let her cuddle into him. He pressed a kiss into her head. She wasn’t mad at him, or even Cady. She was just sick of people acting like she couldn’t handle herself. Especially since the attack. It had been all of her life though, not just recently. She had always been treated as if she were a child, young and naive even though she had seen more evils of the world than most people she’d known. She was fed up and didn’t want to put up with it anymore. She didn’t mean to take it out on little, seemingly meek Cady. It just happened to come out that way. She needed to apologize.
She explained all of this to Alex who listened intently, just like she expected from him. Just what she needed, actually.
“Will she forgive me?” Polly asked Alex softly, sniffling away a few tears that threatened to fall. Why was she so upset at snapping at Cady? She couldn’t place the nagging feeling in her gut but she knew that it wasn’t good and it wasn’t going away.
“Of course, she’ll forgive you. She won’t have a second thought about forgiving you.”
“Do I deserve it though?”
“Polly, you are too hard on yourself. You’re having a bad day. It’s not something that will ruin your friendship with Cady. She understands what it’s like to have those days. Don’t even worry about it. I promise, you and Cady will be okay.”
“What about me and you?”
“You and me?” Alex asked, glancing down at the curled frame of his younger friend.
“When I move out? Will we be okay?”
“Nothing’s gonna get in the way of you and me, Pollyanna Dianne Salisbury.”
“WHAT?” they both yelped.
“You heard me,” she mumbled, suddenly very interested in the inside of her dinner.
“Why?” Alex asked.
“I’ve explained this bef-”
Polly didn’t get the chance to finish before Cady burst in, “And more importantly, why Darren? That guy is no good. I’ve tol-”
“I’m not a child, Cadence,” Polly finally snapped. Cady’s eyes were wide as Polly stood up suddenly, knocking her chair backwards. It tipped as Polly threw her dinner away and crashed the plastic plate into the sink. She stomped off, unanticipated upset, and into Alex’s room where she slammed the door hard and sank into his bed.
“What just happened?” Cady asked.
“I think we upset her,” Alex said obviously. Cady shot him a look and stood up, intending to fix whatever had just happened. Alex grabbed her arm as she passed and shook his head at her.
“I’ll talk to her,” Alex said softly.
“She’s less likely to throw a lamp at me,” Cady argued.
“Yes, but… still. I think I know how to fix this.”
Cady gestured towards her brother’s bedroom and let him go. He let himself in and walked across the room after shutting the door. He lay down with his best friend and let her cuddle into him. He pressed a kiss into her head. She wasn’t mad at him, or even Cady. She was just sick of people acting like she couldn’t handle herself. Especially since the attack. It had been all of her life though, not just recently. She had always been treated as if she were a child, young and naive even though she had seen more evils of the world than most people she’d known. She was fed up and didn’t want to put up with it anymore. She didn’t mean to take it out on little, seemingly meek Cady. It just happened to come out that way. She needed to apologize.
She explained all of this to Alex who listened intently, just like she expected from him. Just what she needed, actually.
“Will she forgive me?” Polly asked Alex softly, sniffling away a few tears that threatened to fall. Why was she so upset at snapping at Cady? She couldn’t place the nagging feeling in her gut but she knew that it wasn’t good and it wasn’t going away.
“Of course, she’ll forgive you. She won’t have a second thought about forgiving you.”
“Do I deserve it though?”
“Polly, you are too hard on yourself. You’re having a bad day. It’s not something that will ruin your friendship with Cady. She understands what it’s like to have those days. Don’t even worry about it. I promise, you and Cady will be okay.”
“What about me and you?”
“You and me?” Alex asked, glancing down at the curled frame of his younger friend.
“When I move out? Will we be okay?”
“Nothing’s gonna get in the way of you and me, Pollyanna Dianne Salisbury.”