Angels of Long Island | Mathew Barzal

~43~

A few days later, Mat drove me back to school after spending almost 3 weeks or more with him. He could tell I was upset about leaving him because he said "Hey, you'll see me again soon." He pulled me into him and kissed my head. I nodded, not saying anything. I was trying not to be clingy. "I don't know when, we have a 6 game road trip out west. We have San Jose, Anaheim, LA, Arizona, Dallas and Vegas." He explains. "And by then it's the all-star break." I chime. He nods and hugs me tightly. We're standing outside my dorm building. "I should go, I'm going to meet some of the guys and I'm gonna go to bed early tonight." He explains. "Ok babe. Thank you for having me all break." I say. "No thank you for being with me, I loved having you there with me everyday." "I'll see you soon. I love you." He adds. "I love you too Mat." I say, missing him. He pecks my cheek before getting back in his car and driving off.

I head into my room and Sophia is the first oneto see me. She nearly drops the bowl of macaroni and cheese she was making whenshe saw me. "AHHHH LEX I MISSED YOU!" She squeals, setting down the bowl andhugging me. "I missed you too!" I say excitedly, hugging back, standing mysuitcase upright. "Tell me everything!" She says, taking my hand and practicallydragging me to our room. She plops down on her bed and I sit on mine. "Firstthings first, did you guys...ya know, do anything?" She asks. I laugh beforesaying "No, we didn't. It's not the time." "What do you mean it's not thetime?" She asks. "You were with him for 3 weeks there wasn't any time forthat?" "Of course there was time, and there were plenty of times we could've.But I just am not ready after the last person I did it with that just left me.I don't want Mat to leave me." I say, looking down into my lap. "Lex, Mat lovesyou. He's not going to leave you. But you're right, when it's time, you'll bothenjoy it so much." Sophia says. "So tell me, did you meet his family?!" Shesqueals. "Yeah I did, I think they all liked me." I say. I spend the next hourtelling her about all of our winter break adventures.