Day and Night

Ch. 9 Loverboy

*Loverboy, you play those hearts like toys

Don't you feel bad, don't you feel bad

feel bad for them?*

                             -You me at six *Loverboy*

Chapter 9

“Hey, dad!” I say into the phone cradled against my ear.

“Hey, sweetie. Are you guys having fun?” he asks and I’m tempted to laugh. So far the summer isn’t going exactly as I had wanted.

“Yeah. It’s great here. Do you think you’ll be able to get off work soon to come down for a weekend?” I question hopefully.

“I don’t really know yet. Things have been kind of crazy lately, but I’ll do my best,” he replies and I feel my heart sink. I should have figured he wasn’t going to come, but it still hurts to hear him say it anyway.

“Yeah, okay. Try not to work too hard, though, alright?” I tell him and he chuckles.

“I’ll try not to,” he says.

We finish the rest of our conversation, not talking about anything important. After only a few minutes he cuts me off to tell me that someone from work is calling and that he has to go. I try not to let it get me down, but I can’t help but miss the way my father used to be. He was always around when I was younger and he always came along on our vacations. Of course, that was when mom was still around and I can see why it would remind him of her too much to come along now, but I just wish that he would do it for me and Keaton. I feel guilty just thinking this, though, because I know that it’s selfish and I need to let him cope in his own way. It just sounds a lot easier to do than it actually is.

“You okay?” Mads asks after seeing the gloomy look on my face.

“Yeah, I’m good,” I reply and offer her a weak smile. “Do you think uncle James will be coming this weekend?”

My uncle James, Mads husband and the boys’ dad, normally comes to visit us on our vacations around the same time that my dad does, but since my dad is probably not going to show up I wonder if he still will come. I haven’t seen him in awhile and I know the boys probably miss him, even if they won’t admit it.

“You don’t have to call him uncle, you know. It’s not like you call me your aunt,” Mads says and I shrug. I have always called him that and it would be weird to change it now. “I’m not sure if he’ll come or not. I’m thinking that he probably will.”

“It’ll be nice to see him,” I offer and then jump up when I notice the time. “I have to go. I promised Maya I would meet her down at the beach and I’m already late.”

“Okay, hon. I probably won’t be around today because I’m meeting up with an old friend that lives nearby, so if you need me I’ll have my cell,” she informs me and I promise to call her if something important comes up before racing out of the house.

Maya is waiting for me when I arrive, already laying back on a beach towel tanning. I plop down beside her, even though I really don’t like tanning all that much. For me I get way too bored just lying around and would much rather be swimming in the ocean. Besides I am already plenty tan after hanging out on the beach so much the past few days. I don’t tell Maya this, though, because I know that she won’t want to go in the water since she says that it is too salty and she won’t really want to do anything else either. So, instead of arguing with her I just do what she wants.

We spend most of the day lounging around like this and checking out the surfer boys. Well, it’s mostly Maya that does this since I have no interest in anyone other than Wesley. When I tell Maya this she just rolls her eyes and says that I can do better than someone who would cheat on me. Maybe it’s true, but it still hurts and I kind of miss the way things used to be between me and Wesley. The more time spent away from him just makes it painfully obvious that I need him in my life. Not that I haven’t seen him around the house or talked to him at all, but it’s not really the same. We don’t act like a couple anymore or kiss or anything, which I guess we shouldn’t since we are technically on a break.