Cupid's Incorporated {Completed}

Cupid's Incorporated - Chapter Seventeen

Right now, I felt like one of those over-clingy, whiny ex-girlfriends.

I mean, it wasn’t like Ashton and I had ever even dated!

So why was I sitting in my bedroom balling my eyes out, wrapped up in my best friend’s arms and wailing my sob story to the world.

I’m Mia Starr. That’s just not what I do.

Charlie patted my hair soothingly. “It’s OK, Mia,” she told me.

“I tried!” I sobbed, sniffling. “I did everything in the plan he asked me to! And somehow I still disappointed him.”

She sat back and stared at me. “Look, Mia. I’m not the best girl to come crying to. I’m not good at the touchy-feely, ‘It’ll –all-be-OK’ crap. If you’re looking for that, you should’ve gone to Delta or Shae,” she said, naming two of the girls in our year who are known for mending other’s heartbreaks. “But what I am good at is the tough love, ‘Honesty-is-the-best-policy’ approach. So I’m going to give it to you straight.”

I sniffled and nodded. Maybe I needed a reality check. Charlie was an amazing friend, and very good at bringing me back down to Earth.

“You’re my best friend, Mia, and I love you like a sister, but sometimes you tend to be a little…" she paused as she searched for the right word. "...overdramatic.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she held out a hand to stop me. “I know that what he said was mean, but I’m sure they were just things said in the heat of the moment. He probably didn’t mean them.

“But, Mia, you need to stiffen up that upper lip and get over him. Truth is, you were never a couple. You need to wipe those tears and take a deep breath. Let him be the one that wallows in guilt and self-pity. But you’re too good for that.”

She was right. Well, of course she was right. She was Charlotte Wickers. She was always right. Whether it be romantic problems or a math test, she always had the correct answers.

I needed to pull myself together and move on. I shouldn’t cry and mope around; we weren’t a couple! We were barely even friends! He shouldn’t be affecting me like this. Let him come crawling back to me.

I was through with tossing and turning at night, thinking about him all of the time, crying over a boy that I could only class as my acquaintance. I was done.

I grabbed a tissue and wiped my eyes, drying them of the stupid tears that I'd let fall over a stupid, stupid boy that didn't deserve them. I wrapped my arms around Charlie’s neck and drew her in for a hug. “Thanks, Charles. That’s exactly what I needed.”

She smiled. “Maybe I was a little tough, but it worked.”

I nodded. “Definitely. I don’t need Ashton! If he wants me, he can come back to me. But I won’t sit here and cry over some stupid boy. I’m better than that.”

She nodded affirmatively. “Amen to that, sister.”

~        *        ~

When my mother arrived home that night, I skipped down the stairs with a new resolve, feeling happy and proud of myself.

“Hey, mom,” I said cheerily, grabbing an apple and throwing one arm around her neck in a welcome-home hug.

She put down her briefcase and cocked an eyebrow, her mouth quirking into a delighted grin. “And why are you so chirpy?”

I shrugged. “It’s summer. I’m young and free. Why shouldn’t I be?” OK, so maybe I was a little dramatic at times…

She laughed and held up a grocery bag. “Well, can you be chirpy whilst unpacking the groceries?”

I nodded and started to pack away all of the contents while my mother bustled around making dinner.

“Henry called me… again,” my mother told me as she retrieved the saucepan from the cupboard. She held it lightly in her hands, before depositing it on the countertop.

I swallowed and kept my voice light. “Oh, yeah? And what did he say?”

“I don’t know. I saw it was him and I sent him to voicemail and left the room. Once I was sure he’d hung up, I deleted the message before I could listen to it.”

I thought about my fight with Ashton and decided to defy him, since I was on a strict no-boys policy. If he was going to be such a douche to me, then I found no reason to keep following his rules.

“Why don’t you hear him out?” I asked nonchalantly, packing the yoghurts into the refrigerator and keeping my eyes averted from her face.

My mother's voice sounded surprised when she answered. “Because I didn’t think going out with him was a good idea with Ashton still around.”

Well, she did have a pretty good point, but not for the reasons she thought.

“Right,” I answered quietly, feeling sad again.

My mother leaned against the marble bench-top and turned to me. “Mia, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course, mom. What’s up?”

She sighed. “Do you think I’m making the right choice? Ignoring his calls, ending the relationship. Am I doing the right thing?”

Since I had less of a lovelife than a piece of deep-fried chicken, I knew she must’ve been desperate. Well, at least desperate enough to come to her clueless daughter.

I decided that since I didn’t have the experience to back myself up, I would just go with the answer that felt right in my gut.

“There’s no right and wrong, Mom. Just do whatever you feel is right. Do whatever makes you happier. Just go with whatever you feel. Life is about taking chances. So know the right ones to take. Whatever feels good in your gut is the right thing to do. I’d rather look back on life and remember all the right choices I made, then look back and remember all the opportunities I missed and wished I hadn’t.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “When did you become so clever?”

I shrugged and giggled. “I have my moments.”

~       *        ~

Hey guys, here's an update!

I know it's a crappy, boring, extremely short filler chapter, but bear with me because next chapter is going to be longer and A LOT more exciting - trust me.

I'll try and upload Friday, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that. So maybe Saturday. I'll try, though.

I've started putting in job applications and trying to find work, so updates may not come as quickly as usual, only because it depends on my working hours. Sorry for the inconvenience, btu a girl's gotta work sometime.

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Love;

Holly xXx