Bayside Queens

22.

22.

CJ

"Hello?" I answered the call anxiously, my heart beating the fastest it has in days.

"Hey," Val responded, her voice low and casual. I took a deep breath. At least it didn't sound like she was calling because Quinn was in trouble.

"What's up?" I asked, cursing myself for the hopeful tone I asked in. An optimistic voice in the back of my head was saying, "Maybe she'll be calling to tell you he forgives you." Reality, though, had other plans.

"I'm just calling to thank you for the tickets. That was really sweet CJ, I know he appreciated it."

I let out a sigh of relief. I had been cracking my knuckles all day waiting for some kind of response. Late last night I stuffed an envelope under Val and Quinn's door. Inside of it were three tickets to the Bronx Zoo and some cash for a cab, food, and anything Tobias wanted from the gift shop. I wrote a small apology note to them regarding the drunken incident outside a few nights ago, my peace offering being a weekend gathering for the three of them. It was the least I could do. I was a guilt stricken mess who couldn't stop thinking about a boy with big brown puppy dog eyes and the swirling I got in my stomach whenever his breath touched my face.

Quinn and I broke up three days ago. My body has been pleading for his presence since three days ago. My mind and my chest have been numb since three days ago. I've cried every night since three days ago. I haven't been a fraction of myself since the last time I saw him, and I was starting to think I never would be.

"God, I'm so sorry Val," I told her, rubbing my hands over my face. "You know—"

She cut me off. "I know." Her tone wasn't sharp or aggressive, just understanding. She spared me from having to explain myself and for that I was grateful.

"How is he?" I asked the question that had been hanging off the tip of my tongue since I saw her name flash on my caller ID.

She took a long, deep, sigh that couldn't mean anything good. "He misses you. A lot." Val told me simply. My fingers pulled on the ends of my hair. I dropped my bag on the couch and sat down next to it.

"I miss him too," my voice was a cracked croak, easily showing her how weak Quinn's absence had rendered me. "Where is he anyway? Shouldn't you two be getting ready for school?"

"He's showering. I figured I'd call you while I had the chance," she said, providing me with the reasoning behind her 7 AM call on a Wednesday morning. There was some shuffling on the other end of the line before I could respond. "NO way! He did not!"

Val's voice had transformed into a shrill shriek of a gossiping teenage girl. Her words made no sense to me, but then I realized her situation. Quinn would kill her if he knew she was speaking to me.

"Quinn just walked in didn't he?"

"You bet your ass, hunny!"

The sass in her voice had me chuckling. It was hard picturing Val as an ordinary 16 year-old who read tabloids and watched Gossip Girl when the only thing I had ever known her as was a mother and a best friend.

"I'll let you go, Val. Thanks for the call."

"Ummmhmmm," was the only thing I got in response.

"Talk to you soon," I told her, still chuckling.

"You too, sweetheart."

I pulled the phone away from my ear, watching the call beep out on my screen. I sighed, then shoved it in my pocket. I itched for Quinn's presence now more than ever. But it's not like I could do anything about it. So I went to work.