The Young and the Hopeless
Say Anything
McKala's P.O.V.
"Joel? What's goin' on?"
"Nothing."
"Oh."
The silence was tense, and I twisted my hair around my finger. I wished I could read his mind. Slowly, he sighed.
"I'm gonna go."
"Alright. B---"
He hung up before I could finish talking. I pressed End and set the phone down on the mattress next t me. Sleep descended as I thought about the relationship I shared with Joel.
Joel's P.O.V.
"Benj?"
"Yeah?"
"Should I honestly break up with Mickey?"
"Do what you want."
"But I'm not sure what I want."
"Then how the hell am I supposed to know?"
"I don't know. It's just...I feel like we're slipping away from each other."
"Well, I can't help you there."
I stared at the dark cieling of our room, hinking. The window slid up, and McKala's form crawled through. Benji groaned when she fell onto him, but she quickly shushed him and walked over to my bed.
"We need to talk," she whispered.
"About what?"
"In private. Come with me."
"Mick---"
"Come on."
I followed her down the road to the park where she sat on the jungle gym. She rested her head on the monkey bars, and I perched on the top of the slide.
"What's wrong?"
"Us."
"What?"
"We're drifting apart, and I don't know why. I miss the way we used to be. Making noise till three in the morning, making the neighbours bitch and moan. Joel, I used to know the sound of a smile in your voice. Now all I hear is...tension and awkwardness. What happened?"
"I don't know. But I wish we could go back to how we were."
"Me, too. Why can't we go back?"
"I hope we can."
"So do I. Damn. There's that awkward silence again."
"What should I say?"
"Say anything. Just give me a sign."
"I'm not sure what to do or say anymore."
"Neither am I."
She slid to the ground and headed bck in the direction of our houses.
"Please don't walk away. I know you wanna stay. Please don't leave."
"I know I wanna stay, too. But maybe a few days apart will do us good."
"Mickey---"
"Don't say a word."
"Joel? What's goin' on?"
"Nothing."
"Oh."
The silence was tense, and I twisted my hair around my finger. I wished I could read his mind. Slowly, he sighed.
"I'm gonna go."
"Alright. B---"
He hung up before I could finish talking. I pressed End and set the phone down on the mattress next t me. Sleep descended as I thought about the relationship I shared with Joel.
Joel's P.O.V.
"Benj?"
"Yeah?"
"Should I honestly break up with Mickey?"
"Do what you want."
"But I'm not sure what I want."
"Then how the hell am I supposed to know?"
"I don't know. It's just...I feel like we're slipping away from each other."
"Well, I can't help you there."
I stared at the dark cieling of our room, hinking. The window slid up, and McKala's form crawled through. Benji groaned when she fell onto him, but she quickly shushed him and walked over to my bed.
"We need to talk," she whispered.
"About what?"
"In private. Come with me."
"Mick---"
"Come on."
I followed her down the road to the park where she sat on the jungle gym. She rested her head on the monkey bars, and I perched on the top of the slide.
"What's wrong?"
"Us."
"What?"
"We're drifting apart, and I don't know why. I miss the way we used to be. Making noise till three in the morning, making the neighbours bitch and moan. Joel, I used to know the sound of a smile in your voice. Now all I hear is...tension and awkwardness. What happened?"
"I don't know. But I wish we could go back to how we were."
"Me, too. Why can't we go back?"
"I hope we can."
"So do I. Damn. There's that awkward silence again."
"What should I say?"
"Say anything. Just give me a sign."
"I'm not sure what to do or say anymore."
"Neither am I."
She slid to the ground and headed bck in the direction of our houses.
"Please don't walk away. I know you wanna stay. Please don't leave."
"I know I wanna stay, too. But maybe a few days apart will do us good."
"Mickey---"
"Don't say a word."