Old Friends (Janet and Toni Fanfic)

Chapter 54

Janet

Another rainy morning. Toni was finally able to calm down after nearly four hours of constant crying. I was absolutely exhausted. I was worried. I was a wreck. After I'd brought her upstairs the day before, her sisters left without another word to me. I wondered if they could hear her.

My heart was shattered to see her in such a state of emotional catastrophe. Her mother was out of her life. She was in mourning. And I couldn't help but feel like I played a big part in it, but I knew I couldn't think that way. She needed me to be level-headed and there for her. So I would be.

We didn't eat or talk or clean up or anything that night. I was so drained in the morning, I wouldn't dare look in a mirror. But I needed to get myself together so that I could do the same to Toni. She would be content to lay there in her own sorrow all day, but I wouldn't let her get away without the bare minimum—a shower and a meal.

It was 4:30 A.M. she had finally closed her eyes after so long, apologizing for the things she said and did, and claiming she didn't know what came over her. I knew that. I could see in her lifeless eyes, that it wasn't really her. All of it was a result of holding it together for much too long. It all came to a head last night. She needed this release the whole time, but wouldn't allow herself a chance. Now here we were, and as I watched her sleep, she'd never looked more peaceful in all the days that I'd known her. I was just happy that the worst was over, although I never expected it to come to this. Not so violent.

Her phone was ringing on the nightstand, and I tried to reach for it without waking her. It sounded so loud to me, but she was in such a deep sleep that she didn't even stir at the noise. It was Tamar. What was she doing awake? I decided I would answer it for her and at least fill her in. She was forced to leave early yesterday, and I'm sure all of her sisters were worried sick.

"Hey, Tamar, it's Janet. Toni just went to sleep."

"Oh, my god... is she okay? My mother, she's been crying all night. Just weeping. And she's in total denial that she even said the things she did."

"Yeah, Toni is not herself. I've never seen her so upset before. And I'm worried about the both of them," I said.

"We gon have to get em back together. Maybe not now, not next week, but... I can't keep doing this," she sighed.

"I know. I understand."

"Can you please tell her I called, tell her to call me?"

"Of course I will."

"Thank you, Janet."

I smiled about her conscious decision to use my first name.

"Bye, Tamar."

I slipped out from underneath Toni carefully and got myself together. The first look in the mirror had me cringing slightly. I couldn't believe all of this had even happened the way it did, and it showed, all over my face. I finished cleaning up and checked on her one last time before I went to the kitchen to find her something to eat. Just like her sisters promised, the kitchen was spotless and I was more than grateful. Coming down the stairs to the aftermath of a reunion gone wrong would have been the icing on this horrendous cake.

But I thought better of fixing something just yet, and decided to sit out on the screen porch for some fresh air. We'd been locked up in her bedroom for nearly 12 hours. Not on purpose, but not by accident either. I had to clear my head. The rain hitting her pool made a sweet pattering noise as I watched the day break. It was about 5:30 now. There was no sunrise because of the clouds, but I still found the morning golden and pure. It was calming. That's what I needed the most. Calm.