"I know how it feels to watch your parents fight and argue, not caring about how it affects their kids mentally or if they're being bullied in school," I said softly, trying to offer some comfort. "It sure hurts, but you can't let the effects control your life. Live past those pains and let them go." His eyes turned to mine, pain lingering in them, almost bringing tears to my own.
I didn't know if my words were actually helping, but I had to say something, and that's what I did.
When he dropped me home that evening, he seemed much better. After I made him promise me he wouldn't take the drugs again and watched him throw them in the trash, he hugged me tightly, whispering 'thank you' over and over again.
GEMMA AND I WERE standing next to the presentation theater, which was decorated with blue streamers and balloons, and a big banner saying 'Presentation Day.' Mrs. Bennett was sitting across the stage with two other people.
I was wearing a white sleeveless top with blue skinny jeans, my hair braided back. Gemma was dressed casually in jeans and a light blue shirt, with no sweater. She wore some eyeliner and a bit of mascara too, which I thought looked great on her. Her lips were adorned with bright red lip gloss that complemented her pale skin. She looked gorgeous.
"I hope Tony doesn't ruin things for me," Gemma said, looking around anxiously for him.
I patted her shoulder reassuringly. "If he does, you'll be able to kick his ass," I teased, grinning.
She rolled her eyes at me playfully. "Just shut up and let me enjoy this moment, please."
"Alright, alright," I laughed.
Finally, Tony approached us, grinning widely and obviously excited about something, but also looking nervous until he spotted Gemma. He rushed towards her with a big smile on his face.
"Are you ready, partner?" he asked, winking at her and rubbing his palms together.
She gave him a bright smile. "Born ready." They both walked away to the other side, leaving me standing by the door waiting for Liam.
Betty approached me, her demeanor calm. "Hey, Zoey," she said sheepishly. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for getting mad at you. I knew you didn't do it. I acted that way because I didn't want Caroline to think I wasn't a supportive friend."
Her apology caught me off guard, but I appreciated her honesty. "Thanks, Betty. I understand," I replied, offering her a small smile.
I nodded my head appreciatively. "That's fine. I just wish Caroline would understand too."
"Caroline and I haven't been talking much lately. She's probably found new friends over there. Let's just forget about it," Betty assured quickly, glancing around to see if anyone was paying attention to us.
"Okay."
Mrs. Bennett called Betty and Daphne to the stage to give their reports. "Talk to you later," Betty said before she turned to her partner, and they both walked daintily to the stage.
Watching Betty and Daphne explain their project, I felt someone behind me and turned to see Liam standing next to me. He was in blue jeans, a blue polo shirt, and white Converse. He looked pretty hot, in my opinion. I tried very hard to ignore the butterflies forming inside my stomach but failed miserably.
"What the hell!" I shook the feeling off and focused on the present.
"Hey," he greeted me. "Are you ready?" He asked, looking toward the stage as Betty and Daphne wrapped up their presentation.
"Yes," he took my hand softly and whispered to me. "I love you."
Mrs. Bennett looked at her clipboard. "Next up we have Zoey Hughes and Liam Crawford," she announced.
Taking a deep breath, I walked up to the stage. "My partner and I decided to focus on something different, something problem-solving. So we did our research on the problems facing teenagers in our world today. Most teenagers go through trauma from their parents' misunderstandings," I said as I walked onto the stage.
"For some, it's bullying. Most of them wish they had someone who understood them, someone who could give them better advice on how to react to such situations. Our idea is to create something, an artificial intelligence to help young people in such situations."
Liam walked up to the stage, backing me up. "We came up with an app that gives advice on issues facing teenagers in America. An app that provides advice no matter the problem, helping to reduce mental stress. You can trust the app to keep your secrets without fear of them being leaked."
"An app that teaches you what forgiveness really is, a mentor you can trust. For more info, please watch this video by me and my partner," I said as Liam turned on the projector.
"With delight, I present to you our project, by the name: YOUR THERAPY," Liam said as the video started playing, highlighting the key aspects of the project.
Mrs. Bennett's eyes widened after we finished our presentation. She stood and clapped her hands. "That's the most unique presentation I've ever seen, especially for high school students. Brilliant."
"For me, I'll say you guys did a great job putting this together, especially as it's problem-solving," Mrs. Tamara added cheerfully.
"Great teamwork. But first, I'd like to ask about security aspects. Does the app have a feature for passwords or fingerprint recognition?" Mr. Tobias asked.
"Yes," Liam answered, flashing a smile my way.
"THAT WAS FANTASTIC," Gemma shrieked as we walked towards the cafeteria. "Everyone is talking about it. I've already installed the app." She showed me her phone screen.
As we walked down the hallway, I noticed everyone had their faces glued to their phone screens. Some were whispering to each other, and others were smiling at their screens.
"I'm glad the app is actually helpful," I said proudly as we took our seats, ready to enjoy our lunch.
THAT EVENING BEFORE I went to bed, I checked for any emails from the colleges I applied to but got none. Lying on my bed, thinking about everything, I decided I wasn't going to make any rash decisions until I'm sure there's no hope.
I texted Gemma.
Zoey
Girl, I'm thinking of considering Ashley words. Maybe I should just apply for Standford since I haven't received any emails from Colombia.
Gemma
You don't have to give up yet, they haven't send you any email it mean they're still considering. Don't let your sis win on this one.
Gemma
I know they'll give you, just have a little patient. I was thinking since it's weekend tomorrow let's go for shopping.
Zoey
Anything to keep me from worrying about college. Then it's a yes.
I put my phone down, staring at the ceiling. Suddenly, my phone started blaring, and I picked it up to check the caller. It was Liam.
"Hey babe, can you come out?" he asked.
"Not really sure if I'm supposed to leave the house past curfew," I replied.
"I'm outside, just sneak out through the window."
I walked to the window to check if he was truly there, but he wasn't. Putting the phone close to my ear, I asked, "I can't see you, where are you?"
"I'm on the rooftop," he replied.
I gasped. "Rooftop? I'm coming." The call ended. I climbed up to the rooftop and saw him sitting there, staring at the sky. "How did you climb up here?"
He smirked. "The same way you did. We can sit here."
"What were you thinking about? You seemed worried when I passed."
My eyes widened. "You're spying on me, that's unfair." I poked him on the chest.
He laughed. "I wasn't spying, I was just passing by and decided to check on what my babe is doing."
I looked up, staring at the sky as a cool breeze brushed against my hair. "I was worried about my chances of getting into college. I haven't received any emails from the college I chose."
"What college is that?"
"Columbia University."
He sighed. "You shouldn't bother yourself too much about that. I also applied for the same college. Technically not my choice, my aunt says it's the best."
"I'm scared. My sister is totally against me choosing that school. She got rejected two years ago when she applied for it. She's jealous I might get accepted."
"You don't have to worry. They haven't started admitting students yet," Liam said with an assuring smile. "I have something for you."
I looked up to make eye contact with him. "What's that?"
"Close your eyes," he said calmly.
"Okay," I said and closed my eyes. When he asked me to open them, I did and saw him holding a framed picture of us.
"This is a gift for you. I made two, one for me and one for you," he whispered in my ear.
"Wow," I mumbled, leaning forward to kiss him passionately.
Everyone has their definition of love. To me, love is patient; love is finding someone who truly understands you.
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