A Graveyard of Stars

Chapter Sixteen

"Okay..." she answers hesitantly. I start for the door, and when I get there I secretly pluck the car keys from the key hanger.

When she calls after me I'm sure she saw and I'm done for. When I look back at her, she's wearing an expression that I can't read. "Be home soon."

"I will," I say, as genuine as I can because I love my Mom and don't want her to worry when it's unnecessary. "I promise."

I'm stepping off the last step when Abigail's red Jeep pulls into my driveway. The driver's side door snaps opens and Abigail jumps out. I notice her usual radiant beam is replaced with an ordinary, almost forced smile. I frown.

Catching slight movement out of the corner of my eye, I see my Mom peeking out from between the curtains. She must remember Abigail because once she sees her, she abandons the window.

"You wanna do something today?" Abigail asks.

I feel bad before I can even answer. "Sorry Abigail, but I'm actually on my way out."

Her face falls. "Oh, yeah. That's totally okay." She starts turning away.

"Hey, is everything alright?" I ask, before she can escape into her Jeep.

"Yeah," she says, turning to me again. "I guess I've just been overthinking a lot lately."

My eyebrows furrow. "Overthinking what?"

She shrugs.

"Well, I'm not letting you leave until you talk to me about whatever," I say sternly, crossing my arms over my chest.

Abigail laughs, but it's shaky. "I've just been thinking. Of school. My parents. Connor."

My smile falters when his name comes up unexpectedly. Abigail walks to the steps to sit. I follow. "Connor?" His name sounds weird on my lips after all this time.

She nods without speaking. There are tears in her eyes now, threatening to spill out, her lip is quivering. Not a sight I've ever wanted to see.

I feel like she's holding so much in. I remember what she told me the night of Dustys' party, I have a tendency to keep things in that I shouldn't and I recently realized that trying to protect yourself from pain causes more pain.

"I miss him so much," she says, hiding her face in her hands as she sobs. I pull her into a hug.

And that's when I realize.

You know that shy little smile people get when they like someone? You ask them about a certain person and you know they like that person because they look down at their feet and get that shy smile. Well, Connor had that smile whenever he saw Abigail's Jeep pull into my driveway.

___

"Who's here?" I ask but my eyes don't stray from the TV where Will Smith sings to me about moving in with his auntie and uncle in Bel Air. I can feel Connor's body weight leave the sofa.

"A friend," he explains vaguely. I groan.

"Gotta do everything myself." I turn my body to the window and move the curtain aside. There I find a red Jeep sitting in my driveway and a girl standing by the driver side typing away on her cell phone.

Connor is tying his shoes by the front door. I walk over to him. "You're abandoning me for a girl?"

Connor stands up straight. He puts a hand on my shoulder and says, patronizingly, "Aw, don't be jealous, Dani. You're still my best friend."

I push his hand away and he smirks. Crossing my arms, I say, "Well, as long as you two are using protection."

"Sure thing, Mom," he says rolling his eyes and pulling out his phone. I wonder if he's texting the girl outside.