Washed out Rock Song
Chapter Twenty-two.
“I’m sorry, Leah. But he doesn’t want to talk to you,” Pat said through the phone. “And I don’t think he’s going to change his mind.”
I already knew this was coming. He wouldn’t ever forgive me and if I were him I don’t think I would either. “Okay, thanks for trying.”
I hung up the phone and fell back onto my bed. I rolled over and looked at the picture I kept framed on my nightstand. It was the photo John gave me on Halloween. The picture from when we were younger. If John and I were over, I needed to move on. Just go back to the way things used to be. I didn’t need a boyfriend, I didn’t need friends. My life was a lot less complicated before any of this started. If I was going to move on I needed to get rid of all of this stuff that reminded me of John. I was a mess right now, I definitely didn’t need to have it all around.
I stood up and pulled a small storage bin out of my closet. I dumped a couple of dirty T-shirts that had been clumped up and stored there for the past year and threw the bin on my bed. I took the frame from the nightstand and looked at it one more time before throwing it into the storage bin. I grabbed a blanket off of the floor that usually belonged on the back of John’s truck and threw it in on top of the frame. I went to my closet and grabbed a flannel, a T-shirt, and a hoodie, all John’s. I went to my drawer and pulled out cheap bracelet he gave me when we passed a couple of gum ball machines. I grabbed a dried up rose off of my dresser that was given to me on Valentines day, a few pictures that were taped to my mirror, and a necklace he gave me on my birthday. All went into the storage bin. I didn’t realize how sentimental I was until I was getting rid of all of this stuff.
Rather than waste time pulling on my boots, I slipped on my flip-flops and made my way to the car. I threw the box in the backseat and drove the familiar route to John’s house. I parked in the driveway and took a breath before getting out of the car and grabbing the bin from the backseat. I went to the door and rang the bell. I was expecting John to open it, but his mom did instead and I was relieved. I knew John didn’t want to see me or talk to me and this way I didn’t have to bother him.
“Leah,” she said, surprised.
“Hi,” I smiled. “I just came to drop some of this stuff off.”
“Well, John’s in his room with a friend,” she said, motioning for me to come inside.
“Oh, no,” I said, “I don’t need to come in, can you just give this to him for me?”
She laughed. “You go give it to him, Leah. It will only take a minute.”
“Uh, okay,” I said, stepping inside. “Thanks.”
My stomach was in knots. If I wanted to, I could finally talk to him. What was he going to do? Run out of his own house?
His bedroom door was cracked and I pushed it open the rest of the way.
“Oh my God,” I said. John was sitting on his bed, shirtless. A girl named Melanie that I recognized from the Halloween Party was standing next to him, pulling a top on over her head.
Just like that, John was already sleeping with somebody else. Maybe Kira was right, he didn’t really care about me.
“I’ll see you later,” she smiled at John and pushed past me.
John stood up. “Leah-“
“I just came to give you this stuff,” I said, cutting him off. I threw the plastic bin on the bedroom floor and rushed out of his house.
I already knew this was coming. He wouldn’t ever forgive me and if I were him I don’t think I would either. “Okay, thanks for trying.”
I hung up the phone and fell back onto my bed. I rolled over and looked at the picture I kept framed on my nightstand. It was the photo John gave me on Halloween. The picture from when we were younger. If John and I were over, I needed to move on. Just go back to the way things used to be. I didn’t need a boyfriend, I didn’t need friends. My life was a lot less complicated before any of this started. If I was going to move on I needed to get rid of all of this stuff that reminded me of John. I was a mess right now, I definitely didn’t need to have it all around.
I stood up and pulled a small storage bin out of my closet. I dumped a couple of dirty T-shirts that had been clumped up and stored there for the past year and threw the bin on my bed. I took the frame from the nightstand and looked at it one more time before throwing it into the storage bin. I grabbed a blanket off of the floor that usually belonged on the back of John’s truck and threw it in on top of the frame. I went to my closet and grabbed a flannel, a T-shirt, and a hoodie, all John’s. I went to my drawer and pulled out cheap bracelet he gave me when we passed a couple of gum ball machines. I grabbed a dried up rose off of my dresser that was given to me on Valentines day, a few pictures that were taped to my mirror, and a necklace he gave me on my birthday. All went into the storage bin. I didn’t realize how sentimental I was until I was getting rid of all of this stuff.
Rather than waste time pulling on my boots, I slipped on my flip-flops and made my way to the car. I threw the box in the backseat and drove the familiar route to John’s house. I parked in the driveway and took a breath before getting out of the car and grabbing the bin from the backseat. I went to the door and rang the bell. I was expecting John to open it, but his mom did instead and I was relieved. I knew John didn’t want to see me or talk to me and this way I didn’t have to bother him.
“Leah,” she said, surprised.
“Hi,” I smiled. “I just came to drop some of this stuff off.”
“Well, John’s in his room with a friend,” she said, motioning for me to come inside.
“Oh, no,” I said, “I don’t need to come in, can you just give this to him for me?”
She laughed. “You go give it to him, Leah. It will only take a minute.”
“Uh, okay,” I said, stepping inside. “Thanks.”
My stomach was in knots. If I wanted to, I could finally talk to him. What was he going to do? Run out of his own house?
His bedroom door was cracked and I pushed it open the rest of the way.
“Oh my God,” I said. John was sitting on his bed, shirtless. A girl named Melanie that I recognized from the Halloween Party was standing next to him, pulling a top on over her head.
Just like that, John was already sleeping with somebody else. Maybe Kira was right, he didn’t really care about me.
“I’ll see you later,” she smiled at John and pushed past me.
John stood up. “Leah-“
“I just came to give you this stuff,” I said, cutting him off. I threw the plastic bin on the bedroom floor and rushed out of his house.