Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
I'm just staying at my parents’ house, after they insisted, I stop wasting money on hotels when I am always free to visit them. I decide I’m going to try to visit Bella, too.
I'm sure she takes time off from school for the holidays or vacation or whatever. Maybe I will be able to run into her and catch her. One can only hope.
Unable to sit here knowing I may be in such close physical proximity to her, I get in my car and drive over to her house. I pause as I pull up to the curb, wondering if this is the right thing to do.
Last time I got Derek answering the door on me when I was here. I hope it doesn't happen again because I haven't really heard from him either, except for that time when he called to make fun of me.
It seems our friendship has ended with my professional athlete career, which is a shame, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
Well, whatever's going to happen is going to happen, I tell myself. There's nothing I can do to change that. All I can do is hope for the best but expect the worst.
I get out of the car and walk up to the door and ring the doorbell a couple times. I wait and wait. Finally, the door opens, and to my chagrin, it's Derek who’s behind it again.
"Hey, buddy. How's everything going?" I say, trying to make things seem casual between us like they usually are.
He just glares at me with an icy stare and doesn't respond.
"I just wanted to check in on you and your sister. How are things going? Does Bella like school? I tried to get a hold of her but couldn’t connect. Is she taking time off for the holidays? How are things going with you? We never did get to get together the last time I was here," I say, realizing I’m rambling out of nervousness, and asking him a million questions at once.
Derek is cold as he stands there looking at me. It seems he’s suspicious and I guess I don’t blame him, considering that I don’t normally talk to him as if I’m giving him a job interview or something.
He doesn't really say anything about his sister other than to tell me the fact that "she's doing fine” and that, to my dismay, she isn’t here and he has no idea when she might be coming by, if at all.
It’s strange— they were always so close.
Wouldn’t she at least come visit?
I have so many questions but it’s clear he’s not going to answer any of them, so I stop asking.
We just stand here some more, with me seeming awkward, and him seeming cold and frigid even.
"Look, I’ve really got things to do, so I don't know what to tell you," Derek finally responds.
I'm taken aback by his demeanor towards me. He really must know something or, I don't know, maybe he's envious. It could be anything but it's strange that he would treat me this way. We've been friends throughout our whole childhood, adolescence, and adulthood until now.
Then again, maybe if I was a real friend, I wouldn’t have slept with his sister. And yet, in my defense, it wasn’t just a one-off. I mean, it was supposed to be, but in my heart, it was forever. I’ll never be able to get her off my mind and I truly care about her.
I’m not sure those things would help me mount a defense if he finds out, though.
Maybe he already knows and that’s why he’s acting like this.
If so, there’s probably nothing I could say that would make him change his mind. But at least I’m here trying. Obviously, he doesn’t want to let me in, though, so there’s nothing further I can do.
"Oh, okay. Well, I don't mean to take up too much of your time. I just wanted to check in on you guys. You know, you guys are my friends," I reply.
"Yeah, we're doing fine," Derek answers coldly before closing the door on me.
I'm saddened by his response. I turn and walk away with a very audible sigh. Then I get in my car and drive back home.
I can't believe that this trip has turned out the same way as my last one here did. In fact, this one is even worse. I feel like I've lost both of my best friends now.
I drive back to my parents’ house and go upstairs. I'm not in the mood to eat or do anything. This is going to be the worst vacation ever. I might as well go back early.
I sit at the kitchen table with my laptop out and reconfigure my vacation time. I look online at the airport website and check my flight arrangements.