Don't Forget
"I'm Sorry"
Mia was in her bathroom. Half of her hair was pinned back with a clip and the other half she held between her fingers as she ran a flat-iron over it. Today had seemed like the best day to try flat ironing her hair. Now that she was half way done and forty-five minutes in she wasn't so sure. Her phone buzzed and vibrated so hard it fell into her sink.
“Shit!” Mia put down the flat iron and quickly rescued her phone.
Thankfully, she hadn't been doing anything with the water so it was completely unharmed. She flicked it open and opened the text message from her dad: There’s someone downstairs here to see you. He’d stopped shouting through the house and instead used his text messages order her around. On the one hand, she liked it because it gave her time to decide how to respond. On the other, she hated it because she never knew how to respond. She could never tell his tone from the text messages therefore she could never tell if he was mad or not. She huffed. Her hair was half straight half curly mop of frizz.
Why now? Why me? she thought shaking her fist at her ceiling. The only response was the monotonous buzzing of her ceiling fan. Someone here to see you and not your friend is here to see you. It must be Connor. Mia’s stomach flipped. He hadn't called her since the last time they’d hung out. She quickly put her hair in two uneven buns on her head and left the bathroom.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she froze. Eric was standing in the gallery his eyes down cast, with her father staring laser beams into his face. He was wearing a black turtle neck shirt and dark jeans. He still had his piercings in his ears but the rings were round studs making them much more tame. His hair didn't have any product in it so it flopped everywhere all over his head. He kind of looked like a different person altogether with his tattoo covered under more conservative clothing.
“Eric.” Mia said and he looked up at her.
“So you do know him.” Johns lips were pursed. Mia rolled her eyes she wasn't going to hear the end of this one.
“Yeah he’s my friend from school.” Mia said to John. She began to her cautious descent down the stairs, “What are you doing here?” Mia asked Eric.
“I…”Eric’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat before continuing, “I just wanted to talk to you, if you’re not busy I mean.” Eric glanced at John.
Mia huffed, “We’ll be on the porch Dad.” Mia said taking Eric’s hand and leading him outside.
She shut the front door behind her and sat on her front step. Eric stepped down and leaned against the railing. They were about a yard apart, but it felt like an ocean. It had only been a week since she’d decided to end things with him, but it felt like years. When the silence stretched a few minutes Mia said, “Well? Talk.”
“I honestly don’t know where to start.”
“Try the beginning.”
“The beginning isn't so simple in this situation.”
“Yes it is.” Mia said, “You decided to go all Machismo on me and gave me an ultimatum. You or Connor and I chose Connor. If faced with the same decision I’d do it again.”
Eric’s shoulders hunched. He wasn't looking at her he was looking at his shoes, “Because he’s better than me.”
“Goddammit Eric.” Mia said getting to her feet. She went to him and lifted his head so that he was meeting her eyes, “You’re still not getting it. You can’t control who I’m friends with. Connor was there before you.” Mia shook her head taking a step away from him, “He’s probably the reason you like me in the first place. You don’t know what I was like when I first moved here.”
“I didn't come here to talk about him.” Eric said. He was tense and the Eric’s I’m-really-irritated-vein started to bulge on his forehead.
Mia rolled her eyes, “Fine what do you want to talk about?”
“Please don’t be mad at me.” Eric said taking her hand, “I've gone one-hundred seventy-one hours and seventeen minutes with you mad at me and I can’t take it anymore.” He counted the minutes…Mia’s heart pounded in her ears, “I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.” He leaned his forehead against hers and his other hand went to her cheek, “Please…”
“Stop,” Mia whispered against his lips and he froze.
“Shit!” Mia put down the flat iron and quickly rescued her phone.
Thankfully, she hadn't been doing anything with the water so it was completely unharmed. She flicked it open and opened the text message from her dad: There’s someone downstairs here to see you. He’d stopped shouting through the house and instead used his text messages order her around. On the one hand, she liked it because it gave her time to decide how to respond. On the other, she hated it because she never knew how to respond. She could never tell his tone from the text messages therefore she could never tell if he was mad or not. She huffed. Her hair was half straight half curly mop of frizz.
Why now? Why me? she thought shaking her fist at her ceiling. The only response was the monotonous buzzing of her ceiling fan. Someone here to see you and not your friend is here to see you. It must be Connor. Mia’s stomach flipped. He hadn't called her since the last time they’d hung out. She quickly put her hair in two uneven buns on her head and left the bathroom.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she froze. Eric was standing in the gallery his eyes down cast, with her father staring laser beams into his face. He was wearing a black turtle neck shirt and dark jeans. He still had his piercings in his ears but the rings were round studs making them much more tame. His hair didn't have any product in it so it flopped everywhere all over his head. He kind of looked like a different person altogether with his tattoo covered under more conservative clothing.
“Eric.” Mia said and he looked up at her.
“So you do know him.” Johns lips were pursed. Mia rolled her eyes she wasn't going to hear the end of this one.
“Yeah he’s my friend from school.” Mia said to John. She began to her cautious descent down the stairs, “What are you doing here?” Mia asked Eric.
“I…”Eric’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat before continuing, “I just wanted to talk to you, if you’re not busy I mean.” Eric glanced at John.
Mia huffed, “We’ll be on the porch Dad.” Mia said taking Eric’s hand and leading him outside.
She shut the front door behind her and sat on her front step. Eric stepped down and leaned against the railing. They were about a yard apart, but it felt like an ocean. It had only been a week since she’d decided to end things with him, but it felt like years. When the silence stretched a few minutes Mia said, “Well? Talk.”
“I honestly don’t know where to start.”
“Try the beginning.”
“The beginning isn't so simple in this situation.”
“Yes it is.” Mia said, “You decided to go all Machismo on me and gave me an ultimatum. You or Connor and I chose Connor. If faced with the same decision I’d do it again.”
Eric’s shoulders hunched. He wasn't looking at her he was looking at his shoes, “Because he’s better than me.”
“Goddammit Eric.” Mia said getting to her feet. She went to him and lifted his head so that he was meeting her eyes, “You’re still not getting it. You can’t control who I’m friends with. Connor was there before you.” Mia shook her head taking a step away from him, “He’s probably the reason you like me in the first place. You don’t know what I was like when I first moved here.”
“I didn't come here to talk about him.” Eric said. He was tense and the Eric’s I’m-really-irritated-vein started to bulge on his forehead.
Mia rolled her eyes, “Fine what do you want to talk about?”
“Please don’t be mad at me.” Eric said taking her hand, “I've gone one-hundred seventy-one hours and seventeen minutes with you mad at me and I can’t take it anymore.” He counted the minutes…Mia’s heart pounded in her ears, “I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.” He leaned his forehead against hers and his other hand went to her cheek, “Please…”
“Stop,” Mia whispered against his lips and he froze.