My Warrior

Letting Her Go

I was at the mall with Ray when my phone rang.

"Hello." I answered.

"Jacob? Hi, this is Mrs.Lyle, Ari's mom."

I chuckled into the phone. "I know who you are, hi Mrs.Lyle. Is everything ok?"

"No."

She stayed quiet and I could hear her breathing heavily.

"Ariana's upset. She thinks going to New York is a mistake, she's unpacking boxes as we speak. She doesn't wanna leave you, she doesn't wanna leave us, and she doesn't wanna be so far from home."

I bit my lip and looked at Ray who was busy looking through piles of shirts with stupid sayings on them. I thought hearing this would make me happy, but it didn't, it made me sad because I wanted the best for Ari. College was the next best thing for her.

"Oh." I said.

"I...I know you're a busy person but could you please come talk some sense into her? Jake she wants to throw her life away, and she's fought so hard to keep it..."

I frowned, more Cancer talk.

"Yes ma'am, I can be there in 20."

"Thank you! So much!"

"No problem Mrs.Lyle."

I hung up and tucked my phone into my pocket.

"Ray." I tapped his shoulder. "Ray I gotta go Ari...needs my help."

"Dang." Ray sighed. "Leaving me for her..."

"Ray." I said angrily.

"I'm joking! Gosh, go on, we'll hang later."

"Thank. You." I told him before rushing to the parking lot where my mom's car waited.

I gripped the steering wheel tight, and sat straight up in my seat for the entire drive, never calming down. I knocked quickly on the door and a fuzzy figure which was Ari's mom appeared.

"She's upstairs." Her eyes were red and puffy, she was crying.

"Ok." I told her.

Ariana's door was open and when I walked in she was smiling.

"Hey Jake." She was moving clothes from her suitcase to her dresser drawer.

"Um...hi. Whatcha doin in here?" I asked.

"Unpacking?"

"Why?"

"Because. I'm not leaving duh."

Something about her voice was fake. She sounded happy and was smiling, but I could see how dissapointed she was in herself. I walked over to her and took her hand, walking her to the bed with me so we could sit and talk.

"Why Ariana? Why aren't you ganna go to college huh? Do you wanna have no life? What about being like all the doctors and nurses who helped you?"

She shrugged. "I could take some online classes."

"Ariana. Do you have any idea how difficult, expensive, and time consuming that'd be?" She shook her head. "Exactly, GO, go to New York and get your education." I begged her.

"I don't wanna...I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Scared of failing, of not being able to take care of my self."

I laughed for a second and held her chin in the palm of my hand. "Darling, welcome to real life." I whispered before softly kissing her. "Go to school."

Her eyes watered, but she wiped them before the tears could form.

"What about us?" She asked.

What about us? ...What about us?

"What about us?" I repeated.

"I don't wanna lose you." She whispered and looked down. "I can't."

"Exactly." I smiled, picking her head back up. "You can't."

"You said it wouldn't be fair for us to ask eachother to wait around right?" I asked.

"Mhhm." She nodded.

"Ok. So we won't wait around. We can stay friends until you come back...and then we'll see what happens."

"What if we don't like what happens?" She asked me quietly with fear heavy in her voice.

"Then..." I smiled. "Then we change it."

She wrapped her arms around me and I hugged her tightly. "I love you." She reminded me.

"I love you more Ariana."

I wiped her tears, while fighting back my own. "C'mon. Lets get you packed again."

She chuckled and hopped off the bed. "Ok."

Ari needed to be happy, and in order for that to happen I had to let her go.