Chapter 37: Chapter 37

It was our last formal gathering before we go our separate ways to college. After long discussions about where we were going to hold it, we decide to switch it up a bit and have it at Anna’s. This time it was going to be different, special. She insists on a dress code; this is going to be a classic pyjama party. Lara and I chose to get ready at her house, giving us a chance to catch up. Boy-friendless, Lara has to text Jeremy for our chariot to come and pick us up.

The humiliation of it all, Michael hasn’t spoken to me since the infamous text we shared and I’m hoping beyond hope that he won’t show up tonight. I have no idea what I will say to him or how he will react to me if I do. He never misses parties; my stomach is unsettled with nerves. We plan wisely to ensure ingestion of alcohol without the need for a ride.

Anna said Jeremy can sleepover, she will hide him, and it will be our little secret. Lara and I go downstairs to grab food out of her fridge so we don’t drink on empty stomachs. If mine doesn’t settle down soon, I won’t be drinking at all. I chalk my uneasiness to the imminent confrontation with Michael. Jeremy gets out of his car while it’s still idling in Lara’s driveway to open our car doors for us. He holds open Lara’s first while looking at me saying, “Girls you look sick!”

“I feel it,” I say under my breath. “What’s wrong?” asks Lara.

“You don’t know?” I say watching Jeremy run around to the driver’s side of the car to get back in. “I’m going to see Michael tonight.” Lara puts her hand up gesturing it’s nothing, “No worries, he doesn’t have a new girlfriend.”

“He’s been a miserable prick ever since he found out you and Scott are going to be living together. What the fuck brought that on?”

“Not what, you mean who? My mother of course. She thinks if we’re going to perform together and go to school together we might as well live together, it makes sense to her.”

“Only in her world,” Lara comments.

“I could have helped you break it to him,” Jeremy offers too late,” he advises. “He’s really mad at you for texting him.”

“It would have ruined our summer together,” I admit. “True,” he agrees.

“It’s all water under the bridge,” Lara comments.

I look at her with furrowed brow, “No it’s not, and the shit hasn’t hit the fan yet. The shit always hits the fan before it can become water under the bridge.”

“How do you think he’s going to act towards me?” I ask Jeremy. He looks in his rearview, “He’s had three weeks for his anger to fester, and I assume he’s going to explode tonight. Alcohol isn’t going to help the matter. Scott and I will keep an eye on you, we’ve already discussed it. Don’t go anywhere alone with him.”

“Oh my,” I say nervously. It’s only a little reassuring that they are going to watch out for me.

We pull into Anna’s driveway and get out of the car forgetting to wait for Jeremy to open our chariot doors. We knock on the door and Anna answers wearing her favorite Victoria Secret camisole and matching lace undies, nothing else. She invites us in, I’m tempted to tell her to put something on, I’m not interested in seeing her snatch, but I refuse to be the lame one.

She hugs each of us saying, “Everyone’s in the dining room.”

She has a rectangular dining table set for eight. The girls are on one side, the men on the other. Anna and Johnson are at the heads. I’m across from Michael and sitting next to me is my arch-rival, Juliet, who is completely unaware of how much I hate her. It is beyond my comprehension how none of the girls like her, yet they keep inviting her. Anna takes a sip of her drink before leaving us to get the first course.

Scott looks at me, “Isabella,” he greets nodding his head formally. He is topless wearing a pair of exercise pants I’ve never seen him in before.

“Scott,” I say back to him.

Anna comes back into the room placing soups and salads in front of us. Our glasses are filled with red wine but there is also water as an alternative. She takes her place at the head of the table and holds up her wine glass to start a toast, “To our last get together. Good luck in all your future endeavors, let’s make sure to stay in touch.”

“Here, here,” Johnson says wearing a minion onesie raising his glass. We clink glasses before sipping our wine. Johnson rises from the table and walks over to Anna. He gets down on bended knee pulling a box from his chest pocket, “Anna, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” None of us see it coming; we are happily surprised by them. We wait for her to answer, and we wait. Johnson looks dumbfounded and then angry, probably expecting an excited, ‘yes,’ instead he gets an uncomfortable silence.

She looks around at all of us with her eyes finally landing on Johnson, “If you’ll please excuse us for a second?” The two of them leave the room. Anna’s bedroom door slams shut and then we hear Anna’s voice talking quickly but it’s hard to make out her words. Then Johnson’s voice is thunderous and he is easy to make out. Tension mounts by the second as we vainly try to fill the air with conversation and drown out the torrid argument we are inadvertently being subjected to.

I glance over at Scott, “Does she know?” “Know what?” Juliet asks.

Michael looks at her, “That your boyfriend is shacking up with my ex-girlfriend off campus.”

“I’m not your ex,” I snap. “You have to break up with me for me to be your ex!”

“I haven’t called you in three weeks, make the assumption,” Michael says across the table.

“You’re moving in with her?” Juliet yells at Scott.

“You don’t have the balls to break up with me,” I taunt Michael.

“That’s rich coming from you, who texted me your new living arrangements, why should I give you the courtesy of breaking up with you?” Michael spits back.

“You heard him,” I say to Juliet. “He’s moving in with me!”

“Stay out of it bitch!” She snaps at me, smashing her open palm against my cheek. Michael gets out of his chair and comes over to me. He speaks into my ear, “Get out of your chair now,” he seethes.

Instantly I get up.

“Not here,” Scott growls at Juliet under his breath. He hates public scenes, I know this first hand, and I cause enough of them.

Michael grabs my wrist and drags me away from the table. “You touch one hair on her head,” Scott threatened.

“I’ll fuck her if I want to,” Michael yells back at him. “Worry about your fucking girlfriend.”

Scott grabs my other wrist, “Don’t go with him,” he pleads to protect me. I look up at him, “I need to.” My cheek is warm and stinging.

He takes me to the master bedroom turning the lights on and closing the door. “We’re finished, Isabella. I don’t want to see you anymore. There you go, that was easy.”

I’m still trying to get over what Juliet did, “You’re just angry. You don’t mean it.”

“Damn right I’m fucking angry, I loved you. I waited for you to compete, I trusted you with him, and I would have done just about anything for you. You broke my heart,” his voice cracks. He leaves the room. I’m alone feeling another newfound loss, it is real now. I call a cab and watch for it from the bedroom window until it comes. I walked quickly down the stairs and leave Anna’s closing the door behind me. It’s humid and dark outside. Low lying clouds move briskly past and the smell of rain is in the air. He drove me straight to the cemetery.

The cemetery is creepier at night than I expect it to be, but I need to talk to dad. The cab driver opens his window, “I don’t know if I feel good about leaving you here all alone, in pyjamas no less.” I turn back to him, “I have a cell phone with a full battery. I’m going to be okay.”

“Are you sure?” He asks doubting me. “Ya, thanks,” I said.

He drives off I guess not knowing what else he could do. It’s harder to find dad’s gravesite at night than it is during the day, mom is still waiting for the headstone. I’m going to tell Dad about my plans with Scott and what happened with me and Michael but when I find him, I just collapse on my knees and start crying. I long to bury my head in his chest the way I did when I was a little girl. I don’t know how long I cried for, but I noticed flashes of lightning through the trees and the humidity increasing. Little drops of rain start tickling my face.

Arms wrap around me from behind, startling me. I know it’s Scott without having to look, that’s what he does. I’m not scared. I turn to him sobbing into his chest. He picks me up in his arms and says, “Let’s go home now.” I don’t ask him what happened to Juliet, or how he knew where to find me, or even why he was looking for me, I’m just glad he came.

Mom’s flight is scheduled for the day after Anna’s party. Deborah and Scott come over to pick us both up. Mom and I are trying to start a new life the only way we knew how, whether we live in the same house or not, we carry our memories of dad with us forever. It takes everything in me not to break down when I watch mom crying on Deborah’s shoulder in the backseat of Scott’s car. The image of mom brokenhearted is terrifying. Every whimper I hear makes me feel helpless and vulnerable. I want to take mom’s pain away so badly it’s breaking me.

I notice Scott’s eyes glistening when he weaves his fingers through mine; it’s hard for him to see her too. I tell myself that I have to stay strong for mom; it’s all that I can do. We arrive at the airport and Scott pops his trunk before getting out of the car. He pulls out her suitcases and waits at a distance while we say our goodbyes.

“They’re going to take care of you,” mom reassures. “They promised me.” “I know mom. I’m worried about you. You take care of yourself.”

“I will. It’s going to be great living in Abuja with Aunt Grace. I just worry about you. I feel like I’ve failed you.”

“Oh God mom, you’ve never failed me. You’ve been the most amazing mom.”

“You’ve been the most amazing daughter. I’ll send you tickets to fly out and see me for Christmas. It will be easier if I know that I have something to look forward to.”

“I’d like that,” I tell her. She holds me in her arms before grabbing her bags and leaving me with Deborah and Scott outside the terminal.

I get back into the car so we can drive Deborah home before our big trip to college. When we arrive at Scott’s, Deborah and I hug and then I wait for them in the car so Scott can be alone with his mother to say goodbye. We are alone now and the car is heavy with emotion. I expect Scott to get onto the highway, but instead, he turns in a different direction.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“I thought you would like to say goodbye to Anna and Lara before we leave. They’re expecting us.”

“I’d like that.” When we arrive at Anna’s they were waiting for us, peering out the front window. Before we stop the car, they come running out, their cheeks stained with tears. The day is getting more and more difficult. I hug Lara first and when we are close she whispers into my ear, “Jeremy and I are back together.”

“I’m so happy for you,” I say kissing her on the cheek. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too!” She cries.

Anna already has her arms stretched out for me, “Come here you crazy shit!” I run into them nearly knocking her over, “What happened in the room.”

“I ended it, Isabella, I’ll never marry him, and it isn’t fair to hold onto him anymore. I should have broken up with him two years ago.”

“Are you going to be okay?” I ask concerned. “I’m a tough nut,” she reassures.

“What happened with you and Michael?” she whispers.

“He broke up with me.” “Are you okay?” she asks.

“It feels real now, I think so. I don’t know Anna.”

“Call me anytime,” she encourages, “and I’m going to be visiting you.” “You do that,” I encourage. I looked over at Lara, “Make sure you guys visit me,” I tell her.

“What happened with Scott and Juliet?” asked Anna.

“I don’t know,” I never asked him. “We haven’t talked about that.” He’ll tell me if he wants me to know.

Scott gets out of the car giving Anna and Lara a hug before the two of us get back in and hit the road again.