The Trials of a Misunderstood Teenager | ✅

Chapter 26 - Giving thanks and starting fresh

Tobias and I arrived late last night, and instead of me going to my parents' house, I slept over at his place. I don't think I would have been able to sleep anyway if I was at home. I've gotten so used to sleeping next to him, that I find it nearly impossible to sleep without him.

To say that Marlene flipped out completely when she came into Tobias's room to wake him and find me in his bed instead is the understatement of the century. Tobias was out with his Dad to buy last minute stuff, while he let me sleep in. I hadn't even thought of Marlene when I crashed at his place the night before, and it was a bit awkward at first until a wide grin split her face and she launched herself at me.

"I knew it! You two are meant to be together," she cheered, and jumped into bed, hugging me so tightly, she actually cut off my air supply.

Like with Zeke, I told her how Tobias and I got back together and how we decided to see where our relationship was going without the interference of our friends and families. Thankfully, she understood where I was coming from, and then badgered me to give her more details. I satisfied her curiosity by telling her about our little house back in California and how we told our parents. She was very excited about me being her brother's girlfriend again, and as soon as Tobias came into the room, she squealed excitedly like a little schoolgirl.

"I gather you told her," Tobias said laughing, as his baby sister was hanging around his neck like a monkey.

"I had no choice. She came in while I slept," I told him, and he just nodded. Marlene promised to keep our secret for a few more hours, just as excited as us to tell the rest.

Zeke promised to keep Shauna occupied by taking her out on an impromptu date in the park, which she found very romantic. It gave us the time to prepare everything, seeing that other than her no one actually knew that Tobias was supposed to bring his new girlfriend home.

I tried to help Evelyn as much as I could, and between preparing the food, we actually got some time to bond, and talk, and she told me that while she was upset over how things had ended between me and Tobias the first time around, she couldn't blame me solely for the break up.

"Tobias might have been eighteen at the time, but he was still a kid himself. As a mother, it broke my heart to see my baby in pain, and maybe if I wouldn't have known you and seen what a toll it took on you, I might have thought of you as just some stupid little girl who only wanted to be popular. But I did see you and how much it affected you," she told me, without actually looking at me.

I think, this was her way of saying, that while she knows I made mistakes, she doesn't hate me and is willing to give me a second chance just like her son. I wanted to promise her that this time around things would be different, but then shut up. I couldn't know that for sure. But I was adamant to try my hardest to make our relationship work.

When it was time for dinner, everyone had gathered around, and Tobias invited all into the family room to make an announcement. We had already decided to do it there, before dinner, so that we could eat peacefully afterwards.

"Thank you all for coming," Tobias starts saying. "I am not really good at speeches, so I will cut to the chase. These past four years have been a real roller coaster, with ups and downs, smiles and tears, joy and grief. The friendship between me and Zeke, as well as me and Shauna got tested; I fell in love and got my heart broken," he says, and I look away, not wanting to face him right now, but he soon continues.

"I graduated high school and started college. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do in life, but college helped me figure that out. At the time, I had many questions, many thoughts on how my life would be if it wasn't the way it was. At that time, I wanted to hate someone, but I could never bring myself to do that. It was probably because deep down I knew she was just as broken as me," he adds, and looks at me. I feel his gaze burning into the side of my head, and I turn to meet his intense gaze. The room is silent, and other than the sound of people breathing, nothing else can be heard.