The Story of How We Met

Chapter 5

"I'll go to the bathroom." I pretty much ran away from Julien's hug when I heard Mary Angel finishing her conversation with her mom, then walking into the dining room.

"Sarah, whatever this is, it has to stop now," I said to my reflection in the mirror.

"Hey." I heard a knock on the door. "Can I come in?" Mary Angel asked from the other side.

I opened the door and invited her in with a hand wave.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't have to play the tough one all the time." She shrugged. "I heard part of your conversation with Julien. I had no idea about it."

"I thought you were talking to your mom?"

"I was. But she talks a lot so sometimes I take the phone away from my ear, especially when she is mad, which was the case."

"I do the same." We both smiled at each other. She offered me her hand, and my eyes watered again. "I am fine. Really. I barely remember him. My older sister got the worst of it since she actually had to grow up with him."

"I don't even know what to say, Sarah."

It was my turn to shrug. "There's no need to say anything, the fact that you cared enough to come check on me is enough. I know I can be rude sometimes."

"Sometimes? Like most of the time."

"Sorry, I'll try to hold my tongue."

"Don't even bother with us. We like you like that."

Okay, now I was crying. Where did this all come from?

Mary Angel hugged me. It was weird being hugged by two different people in such a short amount of time, but I didn't give it too much thought. I just hugged her back.

"Are you feeling any better?" She looked me in the eye as if she were searching for something. I nodded. "Gosh, you have the most beautiful blue eyes."

"Except that my mascara is all over my face now..."

"Wait, I'll bring my makeup. I have it in my backpack."

She went to grab her makeup while I washed my face, and when we both came out of the bathroom, looking fresh and happy, everyone was hungry and waiting for us.

After we ate, Uncle Joe offered to give us a ride home, but we declined since the guys said they would take us home in their car.

Uncle Joe did an amazing job, and the car started with no problems.

"So, your brother and Mary Angel are a real thing now, huh?" I asked Julien while we were heading back home. Mary Angel and Gary were in the front seat holding hands.

"Yes, they are. But my brother says it's nothing serious. Gary wants to be a famous football player and leave Halley for good."

"Well, he better start coming to classes on a regular basis if he is serious about that. Dumb people usually don't make it far."

"I know and he knows that as well. He is pretty smart." I nodded, and we went silent for a minute or two.

"What about you?" I asked him. I have never been a big fan of silences. "What do you want to be?"

"Me?" Julien took a deep breath. "I want to be a scientist. Or an astronaut. Any of those would work just fine, so no missing classes for me."

"I'm glad you can't skip a class then, so you can walk home with me. Being stuck as an everlasting third wheel is not funny." I pointed toward Mary Angel and Gary with my head. "My mom doesn't want me to go home alone anymore; she says it's dangerous and that Halley is not as small as it used to be. Can you believe that?"