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Missed Calls
9
Disappointment. That’s what Valentina felt in her gut once she had returned home to find that Ryan and broken his promise to her. He wasn’t going to come down and see her, because he didn’t have the cash right now. There was only three more days until he set off for college and he wasn’t using his days very wisely. He was very good at getting her hopes up only to crush them down.
She spent the rest of her Tuesday sitting on the floor of her room, in front of her laptop, listening to her personal playlist of sad songs. Valentina curled up in a ball, just watching the screen with an emotionless look. For a while she kept looking at her window, expecting to see his car sitting her driveway, but it never was.
“I’m so pathetic.” She groaned, standing up to pull the shade down before curling back up in front of her laptop.
Tilly had texted her a few times to make sure that she was okay but Valentina wasn’t in the mood for talking. On the ride home she had taken a long time to think about their relationship. One part of her was telling her to let him go but the other half of her didn’t want to lose him. Tilly was right about one thing from the beginning, Valentina had dug herself into a hole and she didn’t know if she could get out or if she even really wanted to.
***
“Hey are you home yet?” Mandy, another friend of Valentina asked once she had finally answered the phone.
Valentina nodded even though she was the only one who could see it, “Yeah.”
“Great. You should come over.”
Valentina made a humming sound trying to think of a reason to protest but when she heard Lindsey on the other line she knew that there was no way to say that she couldn’t. Lindsey always knew how to get her to do things like going to Wal-Mart late at night.
“Alright, I’ll be over in a bit.” She agreed then hung up.
Quickly she worked to remove any evidence of her tears and made herself presentable before leaving her room and going out to the kitchen.
“Can I have a ride to Mandy’s house? Please.”
Her grandmother looked over at the clock and nodded, “Alright but you’d be home by 9:30 and if you can’t get a ride, call me.”
She quickly agreed then headed out to the car with her grandmother. They sat in comfortable silence on the way into town. They said a quick goodbye to each other as she was being dropped off in front of Mandy’s house.
Just like she always had, Valentina knocked twice on the wooden door before entering. Mandy’s dad was passed out in his recliner chair right in front of the TV. She shut the door behind her and kicked her shoes off before making her way into Mandy’s room. She was quickly pulled into a small group hug by both Mandy and Lindsey who both started talking at the same time.
“Awww I missed you!” Mandy smiled.
Valentina nodded, “Missed you too.”
“Don’t forget about me, munchkin.” Lindsey laughed and wrapped her arms around the smaller figure.
She giggled and almost forgot about Ryan for a second until Mandy opened her mouth.
“So how are you and Mr. Ryan Wells?” She waggled her eyebrows up and down.
Valentina’s smile dropped and she sighed, “We’re okay.”
“Uh-oh. What happened?” Lindsey asked.
She ran her fingers through her hair, “Got my hopes up that he’d see me today and never did.”
“ugh, he needs to stop getting your hopes up.” Mandy shook her head and handed a small back over to Valentina.
She nodded, she knew that much already. Lindsey suggested that if he called, just to no pick up the phone but they all knew that if he called her eyes would shine bright and she’d pick up in a heartbeat. And she’d forgive him for whatever he had done to her, whether it was ignoring her or canceling plans on short notice. She didn’t know why she did it but she did. Maybe it was something in his voice or the way he could almost always make her smile. He made her weak in the knees and gave her the worst cases of butterflies that she had ever had.
***
After a couple of hours of explaining what happened in Washington, the three decided to walk downtown to one of the restaurants to eat and chat some more. They walked to the gas station after to find that Ronnie was now working there which made it very awkward for Valentina. She never liked being around Ronnie, he made her very uncomfortable. They bought their drinks then left, after a while Valentina had to go home and once she did Ryan called. He apologized for not seeing her. He claimed that he was with his little brothers and she didn’t object to that at all.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” He asked.
She smiled, “Promise?”
“I promise.”
She spent the rest of her Tuesday sitting on the floor of her room, in front of her laptop, listening to her personal playlist of sad songs. Valentina curled up in a ball, just watching the screen with an emotionless look. For a while she kept looking at her window, expecting to see his car sitting her driveway, but it never was.
“I’m so pathetic.” She groaned, standing up to pull the shade down before curling back up in front of her laptop.
Tilly had texted her a few times to make sure that she was okay but Valentina wasn’t in the mood for talking. On the ride home she had taken a long time to think about their relationship. One part of her was telling her to let him go but the other half of her didn’t want to lose him. Tilly was right about one thing from the beginning, Valentina had dug herself into a hole and she didn’t know if she could get out or if she even really wanted to.
***
“Hey are you home yet?” Mandy, another friend of Valentina asked once she had finally answered the phone.
Valentina nodded even though she was the only one who could see it, “Yeah.”
“Great. You should come over.”
Valentina made a humming sound trying to think of a reason to protest but when she heard Lindsey on the other line she knew that there was no way to say that she couldn’t. Lindsey always knew how to get her to do things like going to Wal-Mart late at night.
“Alright, I’ll be over in a bit.” She agreed then hung up.
Quickly she worked to remove any evidence of her tears and made herself presentable before leaving her room and going out to the kitchen.
“Can I have a ride to Mandy’s house? Please.”
Her grandmother looked over at the clock and nodded, “Alright but you’d be home by 9:30 and if you can’t get a ride, call me.”
She quickly agreed then headed out to the car with her grandmother. They sat in comfortable silence on the way into town. They said a quick goodbye to each other as she was being dropped off in front of Mandy’s house.
Just like she always had, Valentina knocked twice on the wooden door before entering. Mandy’s dad was passed out in his recliner chair right in front of the TV. She shut the door behind her and kicked her shoes off before making her way into Mandy’s room. She was quickly pulled into a small group hug by both Mandy and Lindsey who both started talking at the same time.
“Awww I missed you!” Mandy smiled.
Valentina nodded, “Missed you too.”
“Don’t forget about me, munchkin.” Lindsey laughed and wrapped her arms around the smaller figure.
She giggled and almost forgot about Ryan for a second until Mandy opened her mouth.
“So how are you and Mr. Ryan Wells?” She waggled her eyebrows up and down.
Valentina’s smile dropped and she sighed, “We’re okay.”
“Uh-oh. What happened?” Lindsey asked.
She ran her fingers through her hair, “Got my hopes up that he’d see me today and never did.”
“ugh, he needs to stop getting your hopes up.” Mandy shook her head and handed a small back over to Valentina.
She nodded, she knew that much already. Lindsey suggested that if he called, just to no pick up the phone but they all knew that if he called her eyes would shine bright and she’d pick up in a heartbeat. And she’d forgive him for whatever he had done to her, whether it was ignoring her or canceling plans on short notice. She didn’t know why she did it but she did. Maybe it was something in his voice or the way he could almost always make her smile. He made her weak in the knees and gave her the worst cases of butterflies that she had ever had.
***
After a couple of hours of explaining what happened in Washington, the three decided to walk downtown to one of the restaurants to eat and chat some more. They walked to the gas station after to find that Ronnie was now working there which made it very awkward for Valentina. She never liked being around Ronnie, he made her very uncomfortable. They bought their drinks then left, after a while Valentina had to go home and once she did Ryan called. He apologized for not seeing her. He claimed that he was with his little brothers and she didn’t object to that at all.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” He asked.
She smiled, “Promise?”
“I promise.”