Tempting me

That Wasn't About A stupid Hit

"What's wrong?" I put my car in first and pulled away from his house.

He sighed, "My dad is up my ass about this scholarship to Duke and I don't even want to go to that school." He leaned forward a bit, "Then he started grilling me about getting a ride from you and was asking every question he could think of about Sydney because he's met her once."

I nodded as I listened to him, "That's a lot. Your dad scares me but I know he just cares, you know? Duke is an excellent school and if I told any of the adults in my life I was getting a ride with a girl I used to have a crush on instead of Scarlett, they'd react the same way."

"I know it just threw my head off for the day."

"Which I get completely, you know?"

He nodded, "Course I know you get it." He looked at me, "How are you?'

I shrugged, "Last sectionals game today, I am pumped."

"Natalie."

I glanced at him and he had that Mobius face on, "What?"

"You know that's not at all what I meant."

I smiled, "Dude. You're a dude."

"A dude with strong feelings and a highly intelligent emotional understanding of other people. Lay it on me."

I shrugged, "I have no idea what I'm doing. I am going to Minnesota State. That's all I've got set for myself."

"I know all this stuff, you know? Because I know you. I wanna know how you are right now."

I sighed and pulled into the playgrounds parking lot down the road from school. Then I looked at him, "I'm a mess, Mo. I'm in love with Scarlett and I don't know how to tell her. I have to pretend like everything is okay for my team. And quite frankly, I miss my mom. That's my biggest issue. Her dying was like a domino effect. My dad became a dick, Melly got sent away, I got kicked out. I have no idea what the fuck to do because, obviously, I have amazing women in my life but none of them will ever give me what I wanted her to. Like, I'm a teenage girl without a mom. I had to learn how to deal with my period from my 7th grade English teacher."

"TMI but continue."

I shrugged, "I just don't know what to do. It's like I know I'm really fucking sad but I'm just running from it."

"I think your feelings are obviously valid. I can't imagine not having my dad around when I first started dealing with my... Manly issues." He nodded to himself. "I don't think there is anything anyone could ever say or do to fill that hole in your heart because a mother-daughter bond is like, a really special thing. I see the way my mom loves my sister so I think I can almost understand. But, you never know. You don't really remember your childhood and maybe your dad was always a little bit of a dick. Maybe if your mom was here, they'd be separated and you'd still be in the same boat. I mean, there are endless universes. There are endless results to your life. But your mom, maybe that had to happen to make you who you are. Screw your dad. Literally if you gave me the okay, I'd kill him. I know Yoda and Sydney and Scarlett would help. It's okay to be a mess. You're a 17 year old girl in the middle of Minnesota. We live on a floating rock. Think about that."

I felt the tears in my eyes and realized the only other people to talk to me like this were Sydney and Scarlett. Hearing this from Mobius Tucker really has me in my feels.

"You know Mo, I love you." I smiled at him.

And he smiled wider, "Well I love you." He held his hand out for me to shake.

Instead, I pulled him into a hug.

When he pulled away, he took my aux cord away from me and sighed, "Now go tell your girlfriend how you feel because it's very obvious."