Cedar Valley High Series #1
Zaydence Denholm is in trouble. She and her best friend are crushing on the same guy. On her part, she views this as the ultimate betrayal. This crush alongside overbearing and emotionally detached parents, and a complica...
She walked me to the bathroom. "Shower, then meet me in the car."
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We drove to a northern Salsingo suburb and pulled into the parking lot of Regina's Rage Room.
Mom paid in advance which meant we didn't have to wait in any lines. I went through the motions as I put on the uniform and the face gear. The instructor showed us our room.
Floral vases, TVs, and wine glasses were set up for us on a wooden table.
Mom placed a bat in my hand and looked at the box TV. "Go for it."
I gripped the bat and swung with all my might.
I almost toppled over.
One could tell I was new to this.
The TV screen split into hundreds of smaller cracks.
I swung again.
The volume button popped off.
Again.
Small wires were visible.
Again.
I dropped the bat. The thwack echoed.
I picked up a wine glass and hurled it at the wall. My breath quickened.
Another.
Another.
Tucked behind the TVs was a chunky laptop.
I lifted it easily. It was 15 pounds.
I dropped it at my feet.
Popping a squat, I took a hammer to the keyboard.
Keys flew in all directions.
The space bar was still intact.
I smashed it over and over.
I took a photo with all of the stuff I destroyed. I would add it to my wall when we went home.
For that half an hour, all the tension left my body. All my worries faded away. I had a taste of sweet but fleeting freedom.
"Now," she pulled me aside, "let's walk and talk." She motioned towards a secluded trail that hugged the property. "Before the lying starts, Zeriah told me everything."
Of course she did. Zeriah couldn't keep secrets. It pained her.
The fresh air was good for us. I stopped at a wide tree and leaned against it. My biceps burned.
"I won't lie anymore, I promise." I held out a pinky.
Mom reluctantly clasped my pinky with hers. Her hesitation revealed she didn't believe me. I hoped I could show her that I was turning over a new leaf. For real this time.
She swiped her thumb across my cheek. "You've been hurting for months and I failed to notice it. But, I see you now and I'm listening."
We continued along the path. Fallen leaves crunched under our feet.
"I found a David Nuñez of my own." I referenced the love triangle that Mom was a part of in high school. Kiyo asked David out leaving Mom devastated. She joined the track team to avoid her feelings.
"Milo," she hummed. "No wonder you were eager to help out at the wellness center. No one is that excited to clean gym equipment. But I can't wrap my head around why you haven't confessed to him."
"I can't do that. I'd be a bad friend if I did."
"Always thinking of Wyatt first, neglecting your own needs. That's not being a good friend. That's codependence."
Penelope used that word to describe me in her archive. I was too distraught to look up the definition. Hearing Mom say it now, it didn't sound positive.
"How do I stop?"
"First, you need to be honest with Wyatt." she stopped walking. Sky-high trees surrounded us.
"What if he's angry at me?" I turned around and looked for my footprints in this dirt.
"All you can do is give him space."
We found our way back to the car. I recognized a pile of purple leaves that I stomped on earlier.
Mom gave me the confidence I needed to see this through. These last few months were painful because I was constantly worried about Wyatt.
