"Two weeks, Cali!" My mom squealed.
I had just woken up from a four hour nap on the couch that declared I wasn't sleeping tonight.
"Yup," I said, sitting on the stool next to her. "You know, I really really like your dress." I told her.
She smiled at me in awe. "Thanks, baby." She said, putting her hand on my cheek.
Josh walked in from outside and we both looked at him.
"It's chilly out there, huh?" He laughed, taking off the hat he had over his ears.
"It can't be that cold," I said opening the door. I was blasted in the face with freezing winter air, and I, being in only a long sleeve shirt and pajama shorts, jumped back.
"Oh, wow," I muttered, turning to look at my mom. "It's really cold."
It was around 1:30, and I found myself really wanting to go outside.
"Hey, is there a park anywhere near here?" I asked.
Josh nodded. "Yeah, a few blocks down. Luke'll take you." He said.
I smiled lightly and ran as fast as a person with lung cancer can, breathing heavily through my nose when I got to my room.
I pulled on thick grey leggings and a big winter sweater. It was white with maroon designs in random places. I pulled on socks and my high tops and kept my hair down.
I built up enough courage to knock on Luke's door.
I knocked twice, biting my lip for a few seconds before his door swung open.
"What's up?" He asked.
I narrowed my eyes, suddenly annoyed.
His face changed and he raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"
I rolled my eyes. "You know there's something wrong. You've been ignoring me for, like, a month now." I said.
He bit his lip. "Has it been a month already?"
I scoffed and folded my arms. "Look, I don't get why you were treating me so nicely like I was your actual girlfriend, and now you're treating me like your...stepsister."
He laughed and leaned against the door frame. "You are my stepsister, so...I don't know what you want from me."
I felt anger bubbling up inside me. How dare he?
"Fuck you." I said.
"Already did that," he smirked.
My jaw dropped slightly, and I couldn't hold it in anymore. I jumped on him.
I pushed his chest backwards so he stumbled back somehow (my arms are noodles).
I was about to throw a punch at his face, but he caught my wrists and jerked them together in front of my chest.
I felt angry tears forming in my eyes. "You're a coward," I said between gritted teeth.
I was being very emotional.
"I hate you." I said, jerking my arms away. "I wish I never met you."
I turned around to leave and began walking out.
"Then move back in with your dad." He said.
I stopped and turned around to face him. "You know, I would if I could but this stupid thing-" I held up my oxygen tank,"-won't let me."
Luke shrugged. "Well, I guess you're stuck with me."
I bit my lip. "You know the worst thing about you?"
He turned around to finish doing whatever he was doing. "Hmm?"
"You act like you don't care. I know that you care, or at least you used to. Being with you was a mistake, you're just some stupid hormonal boy that wanted to get in my pants," I sounded stupid, but at this point I didn't care.
He laughed. "You think I wanted to get in your pants? California, you wanted to get in mine. Wanna know something?" He said, putting his hands on his hips with an evil smile on his face.
He didn't wait for me to answer, he just looked at my face. "I didn't even come," he said. "And you, oh my God, you were, like, screaming. It was pretty funny." He looked at his nails and my face turned red.
"I'm leaving."
I left the room and climbed down the stairs.
I grabbed a sheet from the closet I left the house without another word to anyone, feeling the cold hair hit me in the face.
The park washed every upset emotion out of me. I laid in the grass for what felt like hours.
I was cold, but in a good way. I wasn't cold, but I could feel the cold on my skin and it felt amazing.
I turned on my side on my sheet and sighed. I was laying under a tree, so there wasn't direct sunlight on my skin.
My phone buzzes next to me head and I grabbed it, seeing that it was Luke's contact.
I rolled my eyes and declined, turning back onto my back and shutting my eyes.
Bliss.
I was disrupted, again, by my phone buzzing. Stupid Luke, calling again.
I groaned and declined it again, but only for him to call me back again.
I groaned and held the phone up to my ear. "What?" I asked, sounding annoyed.
"You need to come home." He said.
I rolled my eyes. "Why is that?"
"Josh wants us to be altogether right now."
"Ugh, no, I'm staying at the park." With that, I hung up the phone and let all my thought of Luke float away. It was around 2:30, now.
I was disrupted, again, from my blissful afternoon by my mothers annoying voice.
"California, when we tell you come home, come home!" She said. She was wearing a long sleeved thermal shirt and jeans and boots. A scarf was wrapped around her neck.
"Sorry." I muttered.
"It really is a beautiful day," Josh said.
I shut my eyes and felt someone lay down next to me. I turned my head and opened my eyes some to see Luke.
He stuck his tongue out at me and I didn't respond, looking back at the sky.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing we came out here, then." My mom said. She had brought her own sheet, so her and Josh spread out on theirs.
"I brought lunch." Josh announced, tossing the lunch bag onto our sheet.
"I'm hungry." Luke said, sitting up and rumbling through the bag. He turned to look at me, and I could just imagine the horrible neck roll I had right then. "You hungry?" He asked me.
I shrugged and sat up. Josh and my mom were far away enough to not hear us.
"Not really." I muttered, finding an apple I was satisfied with and taking a bite out of it.
"Are you mad at me?" Luke asked.
I continued chewing and turned to look at him. "No." I said, turning back to look in front of me.
"Really? I thought you were." Luke said, taking a bite out of a sandwich Josh made.
"I'm just done with you, that's all." I said, looking down at my apple. "Not mad, just done."
Luke didn't say anything and I took another bite of my apple, laying onto my back. This made it exceptionally hard to swallow, but I didn't care.
"I'm just scared, okay?" Luke said.
I rolled my eyes. "Scared of what? Me?" I laughed.
He shook his head. "No...I don't know, it's just...you know our relationship is weird." He said. "I didn't want to have to end something I didn't even get a change to start."
I turned my head to look at him.
He was laying down now, his hands resting on his chest.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
He sighed. "I mean...we had sex, Cal. That's what you do when you're pretty far into a relationship, and our relationship was never going to work out." He said, closing his eyes.
I turned back to the sky. "Why wouldn't it," I said, more as a statement.
"You know why."
Yeah, I do know why. "That doesn't give you the right to be a dick." I said.
He turned to me and grabbed my hand. "I'm sorry, okay? I was just...stressed, and confused, and-"
"I get it." I interrupted him, taking my hand away. "We're just friends, now?" I asked.
He sighed and nodded his head.
I nodded too. "I can live with that."
