"Why hasn't he called?!" I watched as Yvette paced back and forth across the front porch. It was a warm Saturday, the kind of day to go swimming. It seemed like everyone in the neighborhood was outside either on their porches, or walking up and down the street. There were a couple of kids running around playing tag. "He's had my number exactly twenty-four hours now and he still hasn't found the nerve to call? Come on, Andrew, man up!"
"He's probably just nervous. I mean, let's face it Yvette, it's not that easy to get back in your good graces," I suggested.
"Oh please," she mumbled under her breathe. There was an ackward silence until her cell phone rung. Yvette looked down at her phone, then looked up at me. I couldn't tell if her expression was excitement or confusion. "I think it's him," she explained to me. "Should I answer it?" She already knew what my answer was by the look on my face. She put her phone on speaker and answered it.
"Hello?" she asked in an innocent voice.
"What are you doing?" I whispered to her, but she just shhhed me quiet.
"Um, hey Vetty. It's me, Drew." He spoke carefully, like he was concentrating on what to say after he spoke every word. Although she tried to fight it, I could tell she had a slight smile on her face. She greeted him with a "hey", it seemed to be all she could get out at the moment.
"Do you mind if I came over? I think it'll be better if we did this in person," he hesitated. She agreed and hung up the phone. I stared at her with an enthusiastic smile. She finally let herself smile but quickly stopped. "Oh no!" She ran in the house like she was in a race.
"What's wrong?" I yelled after her while she started up the stairs.
"Look at what I'm wearing!" she yelled from inside of the house.
I didn't realize that we both were still in our lodge clothes. Then I remembered that I had a "date" tonight, so I rushed in heading to my room. I stood looking in my closet, hoping I could spot something that would catch my eye.
I finally found the pink long dress-like shirt that I had bought when Yvette and I were at the mall, I just threw some leggings on under it instead of pants. A while had passed when we heard the doorbell ring. Yvette volunteered me to get it since she wasn't ready yet. When I opened the door, I faced Andrew.
He looked me up and down as he recognized the shirt. "I told you," he greeted me with as I invited him in. He sat on the couch as I sat in the chair. So, why are you here? I hope you're not here to say goodbye.
"Look, Andrew," I began, "why did you come here? I'd really hate to have to hurt you because you're messing with my cousin's emotions." He quickly looked at me, obviously startled by my accusion.
"Come on, Trace," he began offendedly, "of all people, you know me better than that." I agreed with an apologetic look.
Of course I know you better then anybody, we've been bestfriends since we could walk. Yvette came down in a sky blue blouse that was loose but still showed off her figure. "Wow," Andrew stumbled out. It seemed to be all he could he could force out. Yvette noticed his astonished face and gave an embarassing smile as she headed towards the couch.
Before she could sit, Andrew threw his arms around her as though he never wanted to let her go. I excused myself and headed towards the kitchen. I made sure I was out of sight, but still in hearing range. I wanted to make sure I could hear when it was my que to butt in before things got out of hand.
"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that," I could hear Andrew admitting to Yvette after letting her go. "I don't even know where to start," he admitted, not to anyone in particular. I heard a muffled against the couch, so I figured they sat down.
"How about explaining why you're here?" Yvette pushed. She's the type of person that doesn't like things being sugar-coated.
"I just wanted to see how you've been. I see you haven't changed at all," he suggested with a half smile while looking her up and down again.
"Please, Drew. Don't come here and try to pretend like everything's okay," Yvette suggested.
What in the world happened between you two? "I know. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," he apologized. What are you apologizing for?
"Oh please," she muttered, a hint anger tone, "No matter how many times you say that it still won't change what happened."
"I know."
"Then why do you insist on saying?"
"Because it's still true. You know I never intended on hurting you like I did."
"Cut to the chase Drew, why are you here?"
"Because I still care about you," he explained to her. I could hear Yvette as she chuckle under her breathe. "I always have, and I always will," he continued.
"No," her voice picking up on volume. "If you cared so much then we wouldn't even be having this conversation, now would we?"
"Lower your voice or Tracey will hear you," he advised.
"GOOD!" her voice to the highest peak now. "SHE NEEDS TO KNOW JUST HOW LOYAL HER BESTFRIEND REALLY IS!" I took that as my cue, so I quickly but quietly stepped into the frontroom. They both were standing up now and Yvette had her arms crossed.
"What's going on?" I asked with confusion as I slowly walked towards the chair.
Andrew threw me an apologetic look as his eyes burned into mine. "Well, do you wanna tell her, or should I?" Yvette pressed. Andrew looked at Yvette with pleading eyes as I sat down in the chair.
"Trace," he began his story, "do remember a couple of years ago on Yvette's birthday, when I told you I was too sick to do anything?"
"Yeah," I remembered, "you said that you could barely get out of bed."
"About that," he confessed as he looked at Yvette, who was fighting back her words, "I lied. I wasn't sick at all."
"I'm not following," I asked with confusion. "He didn't even know it was my birthday," Yvette started since Andrew was hesitating.
"Yvette, please-" He implored, trying to get her to stop. I noticed his eyes were closed.
"No," Yvette started again. "She should know why you moved away and isolated yourself from everyone."
"Is somebody gonna tell me what's going on? Or do we have to play charades?" I pushed, trying to get someone talking. Yvette looked at Andrew, but he didn't seem like he was going to say anything, so she started.
"He forgot it was my birthday because he already made arrangements to go on a date with another female." I looked at Andrew, his eyes still closed.
"I didn't make arrangements, okay, it just happened," he explained.
"So, you lied to me?" It was my turn to get upset. Andrew was suppose to be my bestfriend, and now I find out that he's been lieing to me for years. This is something I was NOT expecting. I can't believe he could look me in the face this whole time, knowing what he knew.
And now I look like the fool that felt sorry for him. Andrew didn't respond to my question, infact, he didn't even look me in the eyes. But I knew he could tell that I was piercing him with mine. "See," Yvette started again. "A couple of my friends who really cared about me decided to take me out that night. We were coming out of a store when I..." she staggered over her word, "when I saw you with her." I could tell that she was fighting back her tears.
Andrew finally opened his eyes when he noticed the anger in Yvette's voice. "Yvette," he mumbled like he didn't want anyone to hear. "I know I shouldn't have done that, but a heads up would've been nice."
"A heads up?!" She yelled furiously at him. "Are you serious? We were together for nearly three years and you're telling me I should've given you a heads up?! Are you listening to yourself right now?"
"Look Vetty, I said I was sorry. I went away like you wanted me to, what else do you want me to do?!" I could hear the fustration building up in his voice now, realizing that he's been calm the whole conversation.
"You could've stayed away!" she exclaimed.
"Wait wait wait wait wait, hold on, back up," I held my hands up like I was directing traffic. I turned my attention to Yvette, who realized why I was looking at her with suspicion. "So, you told him to leave? You're the reason he lost contact with me?"
"Tracey, I didn't mean for it to effect you too. I was mad and I wasn't thinking-" she explained, but I interrupted.
"Out of everything that was going on with me and my family, I needed my bestfriend. How could you try to comfort me knowing you were the reason I had to go through it all on my own." Finally realizing I was standing up, I walked towards Andrew.
He was looking at me now, and I knew he could see the agonizing pain that was filling up in my eyes. He fumbled around the right words to say, and chose, "Trace, don't blame Yvette. If anything, you should be angry with me, I'm the one that wasn't there for you like I should've been," he implied.
I opened my mouth to argue some more, but a horn outside disstracted us all. I'd forgotten about my so-called date tonight. I rushed to the bathroom to freshen myself up. Even though I had a lot on my mind, going out with James would be a good distraction.
So I headed out the front door without saying anything to the backstabbers that were still in silence. When I approached James' car, he had a huge smile on his face that quickly faded when I got in and shut the door. "What wrong?" He asked with concern.
His smooth calming voice was enough to make me forget about all my troubles. "I just found out that my bestfriend has been lying to me for the past two years," I admitted. I don't know what it is about him, but somehow I feel comfortable enough to tell him things I normally wouldn't tell anyone.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't have a bestfriend," he informed me. A rush of confusion swept over me as we were driving along the street.
"How is that suppose to make me feel better?"
"Because at least you do," he reassured me.
* * * * * *
I was surprised when I realized where we were headed. In the distance, I saw a huge light blue house with a white picked fence around it. There were at least twelve cars, that I could count, squezzed near the house. "Where are we?" I asked, trying to see around the cars.
"Well," he began as he parked the car in the driveway, I was amazed that it fit with all the other cars that were packed in it already. "My aunte's throwing a family reunion, and I thought it'll be a good idea if you came along," he stopped to look at my face. He must've seen something he didn't like because he asked if I was okay.
"I'm fine," I looked down at my long pink shirt. "You could've told me sooner though, then I would've dressed for the occasion."
"You look perfect," he said before getting out of the car. When he opened my door and grabbed my hand, I felt a wave of calmness rush through me. It amazed me how just with one touch, he made me feel like nothing else in the whole mattered.
As we headed up the pathway, I could hear music playing and people laughing. "Look who's here! I haven't seen you since you were shorter than me!" A lady, who looked about in her thirties, was the first to spot us.
"This is her house," James whispered in my ear before she was standing infront of us.
They must not of seen each other in years, because this lady was at least five feet. "Tracey, this is my aunt Brenda. Aunt Brenda, this is Tracey, a very close friend of mine. I invited her, if that's alright?" She looked at me with a welcoming smile.
"Of course it's alright!" she greeted while hugging me.
"Thank you. You have a beautiful home," I complimented while scooping out the room we were in. She thanked me before excusing herself to talk to anthor arrival. Others came over to say hi as we got deeper and deeper into the house.
James introduced me to about twenty people before finally taking me to see his parents. His father looked to be in his early fourties. I see where James gets his looks, his father is very handsome. His father was in good shape for his age, although he could loose a pound or two. His mother, on the other hand, was absolutely breath-taking.
She had long, wavy, cherry brown hair that shook at every hint of wind. She was around the same age as James' dad, but she didn't look it. "Hello," his mother greeted after she gave James a welcoming hug. "James, who's this lovely young lady?"
"This is Tracey, a close friend of mine. Tracey, these are my parents," James mentioned as we took a seat on the couch opposite of them.
"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes his mom smiled at me.
"Thank you Mrs. Adams," I said. His family really knew how you make you feel right at home. His dad looked at me with a sarcastic smile on his face.
"A close friend? What's that mean, a friend with benefits? Either you're friends, son, or you're together, pick or choose," his dad remarked. James quickly gave me an embarrassing and apologetic smile. Apparentally he doesn't know what to say either. His dad noticed the silence and took advantage. "What's a pretty girl like you doing hanging around with my son on a Saturday night anyway?" his father acknowledged.
The real question is: What's a handsome guy like you're son doing hanging around me on a Saturday night? I gave a slight smile at question.
"Benefits?" I joked. Both his parents started laughing while James looked at me as though he had no idea I was going to answer.
But yet, he laughed at my joke. "I like her James! She's funny!" His dad confessed while he was finishing his laugh. We sat there talking and laughing for a while. I found out that his dad's name is David, and his mom's name is Pamella.
They were were bringing up old embarrassing stories about James, and he kept glancing at me, hoping I wasn't listening. "Okay okay," James held up his hands in surrender. "Enough with the 'once upon a time' stories!"
"Oh come on now, you know it's our job," his mom assured. "Tracey, I'm sure your parents tell embarrassing stories about you all time, don't they?" His parents questioned with humor. With that one comment, all the emotions and thoughts I forced myself not to think about came rushing out of my soul. Three month's worth of me building those walls that held them locked up, just broke down into millions pieces.
"Um....yeah," I murmured as many words out as I could. "I....um....excuse me." I forced a smiled, even though the words came out weakly as I staggered to my feet and headed for the nearest exit. I went through the back door, hoping to be alone, but to find more of his family out there.
I found a nice, quiet place further to the back of the yard near a decorated pond. I sat on the costumized bench that was circled around it. James must've heard the emotion in my voice, because I felt his hand on my should before he sat down beside me. "Tracey, tell me what's going on," his voice caught me off guard. I've never heard it with such a demanding but gentle tone. I turned to see the concern in his eyes as he stared at me.
"I'm sorry....I'm fine," was all I could choke out.
"You're lying," he said with disappointment.
I gave a sigh before I spoke, trying to hold back my tears. "It's just....it's still hard for me," I explained. He gave me a confusing look as he put his hand back on my shoulder.
"What are talking about? What's hard for you?" he asked.
"Just seeing you with your parents, and the connection you have with them, and how extremely kind and generous they are...." I trailed off because I heard the shakiness of my voice.
"I'm not sure I follow," he admitted as he pierced my eyes with his. It's like he was hoping my eyes would tell him, since obviously my voice wasn't giving up any information.
"You all just remind me of how my parents and I used to be."
"Tracey, what do you mean how you all 'used' to be...."
"My parents died three months ago....when our house caught on fire," I revealed while my voice wasn't getting any better. An apologetic spread across James' face as I spoke the words I dreaded. He scooted closer to me for consoling.
"Tracey, I'm so sorry. I didn't know," he began apologizing as he kept looking into my eyes.
"No, it's not your fault. It's not like you knew," I reassured him. "I was at party, with my friends, when it happened. At first I didn't want to go, because I had a huge test coming up in school the next moring that I'd been studying all week for. My parents, being as generous as they were, noticed how stressed out I was. They decided I needed a break from studying and that I should hang out with some friends for the night."
"How did it happen? Does anyone know?"
"They said it was an exposed wire, or something," as I said it, I felt the tears trying to force theirselves out in the world. "You know what I can't stop thinking about? Is how I was at a party yelling for more alcohol, while my parents were at home yelling for their lives," I couldn't fight back the tears any longer. They came flowing out like music coming out of a radio.
"I can't even imagine what you've been going through," he said while putting both arms around me. I felt my heart start pounding as I let all my emotions out.
"I just....I just wish I would've been there--"
"No," he cut me off. "Don't start saying that. Because if it wasn't for you being at that party, I wouldn't have you here right now." I looked up, realizing that my face was laying on his chest. His eyes were filled with worry and concern as we stared at each other.
At last, I found the strength to lift that burden off my shoulders. And even if it wasn't my best friend, I'm glad that it was someone I trusted. A minute passed until a young boy walked up to us. He had frizzy hair that was forced into a ponytail and looked like he was about ten or eleven years old.
"James, my Aunt Pamella told me to come see if your girlfriend was okay," he looked annoyed, mad because he got pulled away from playing with his friends.
"She's fine," James said before getting up. "Hey, go ahead to the car," he suggested. "I'm just gonna go say goodbye and we can leave." While we pulled out onto the street, I felt the need to smile. A rush of relief came over me. Now you can truly move on, and that's exactly what I'm planing on doing.
As we pulled to a stop infront of my house, and I was quickly reminded of what I left here. I let out a long sigh as I opened the door. I took a glance at James, who's eyes were still on me. "Thanks," I mentioned.
"For what?" he asked. By this time his hands were off the stirring wheel and his body was faced towards me.
"For listening, it's good to finally get that off of chest," I told him. He nodded his head and said no problem. As I shut the door, he rolled down his window.
"You know my parents really like you. My mom thinks you're adorable, and my dad likes your sense of humor," he yelled to me through the window. I smiled before we said our goodbyes and he drove off into the night.
I noticed Andrew's car, that was now parked in the driveway, was still here. He's still here? As I walked up the stairs to my bedroom, I stopped as I was infront of Yvette's and my door. I opened her door to find Andrew and her laying in the bed, sleep.
I don't believe this! After all the fighting and lies, she takes him back? I really didn't want to disturb them, but I had to find out what all went down when I left; how they ended up like this. And I couldn't wait until the morning.
So, I let out I loud shrieking scream. Andrew flipped off the side of the bed and made a loud thump as he landed on the floor. Yvette jumped up, just as surprised as he was. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I asked with bad sarcasum.
"Tracey?!" They both yelled at the same time, one a question while the other a statement. Andrew fumbled to his feet, still trying to figure out why I screamed. He still had on his clothes, so I took that as a good sign. "Um, it's not what it looks like," Yvette explained while getting out of the bed, she had on all her clothes too.
"Really? 'Cause it lookes like the two of you fell asleep in the same bed," I pointed out while slowly gliding further into the room.
"Well, then it's exactly what it looks like," she confessed. Andrew walked towards me, his face innocent.
"But we didn't do anything Trace. We were downstairs when we realized how late it was, and Vetty allowed me, against all odds, to stay the night," he informed me.
I believed him, but I wasn't going to let it go down without a fight. "And what's wrong with the couch? Or the other guest room for that matter?" These are the questions that haunt me. Yvette quickly looked at Andrew before looking at me.
"Well, you know first hand that the couch isn't comfortable enough for anyone to sleep on," she explained. I had to agree, the other night I fell asleep on that couch and woke up with the worst back pains ever. But that still doesn't cover for the other guest room. "And, you know, the guest room, has that thing in it....." she was trying to make up a good enough excuse.
I could tell that she wanted him to sleep in her room, but she didn't want it to look like she was forgiving him. "What thing?" I pressed. She gave me a persuasive look before looking at Andrew. He was looking at the both of us, completely clueless.
"You know. That thing with that stuff," she insisted on me going along with it. Andrew started heading towards the door before I stopped him.
"Wait, I have something to tell you both. I realized something today. I realized that things are gonna happen that are out of your control, even if you want them to or not. And whether you're going through them with friends or all by yourself, you have to find a way to pull through it independently. Because if you don't, you're gonna be the only person in misery. And on that note, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," I stated before letting out a gasp of air. I didn't intend on giving a speech, but I was already on a roll with the whole 'getting it of my chest' thing.
"I'm sorry too," they both said at the same time.
I don't know if they were saying it to me or to each other, but either way, we was even more relieved than I was before. "I should leave," Andrew said while halfway out the door.
"Drew!" Yvette yelled back at him . "Stay."