(Penelope's Point of View)
Flashback
I wake up like every other day. Numb. The friends I once had in the other previous schools I attended buzzing my phone with messages. I open them and see various from multiple people I knew. Some of them confused for my lack of texting back. They weren't aware that my parents that once treated them like their own were know gone. They continued texting me in hopes that I would respond. But I wasn't in the mood to respond and I don't think I'll ever be.
I walk out my room without fixing my appearance and I go to the room next door. Jane is awake and runs at me when I open her door. "When can we see mom and dad?" I sigh knowing she was gonna ask that. For me to have to keep repeating it to her every so often seems to be breaking my heart but it's only natural for a 3 almost 4 year old to ask for their parents. She barely knew them but she only wanted to see the parents that cared so much about her.
I go down to her level and look her in the same beautiful eyes my mother had. I give her a small smile and say, "Jane we've talked about this. We'll get to see them once were much much older. Someday in the far future. For right now they're waiting for us in heaven. Ok?" I say with my sweetest voice possible. Hoping that she understood my explanation. She nods her little head and gives me a smile. Trying to change the subject I look at my phone and check the time. Almost 12 in the afternoon. "Hey do you wanna do something fun today?" I ask with fake enthusiasm. Jane jumps up and down and nods her head like crazy. I let out a little laugh.
After we fixed our attire I drive us to Linda's. We sit in a booth all the way to the back and wait for the waitress to come. I play with Jane for a while until the waitress finally comes. I order our meal and see little Jane having that weird expression on her face she often has. "What's wrong?" I ask worried.
"I'm having those dreams again." She says unaffected. Those dreams again? Every time she's told me about them she's either gotten them during the day or while doing something with someone. Unless it's her imagination I don't know what to think. The waitress comes back with our food and leaves before letting me reply with a thank you. I pass Jane her small plate of eggs and pancakes. While she's eating I look at my own plate of one grilled cheese sandwich. The same thing I order every time I come here. The same thing my dad would order.
It's night time now and the only "fun" thing we did was go to the diner. Thanks so much for being such a great sister I mutter to myself annoyed by the fact that I can't even take my younger sister out to have fun without my bad mood to ruin it all. Where had the old me gone. The fun, loving, energetic me. If my parents were to see me now I sure would have disappointed them. I already put Jane to sleep but that didn't change my sour mood. How horrible of a sister was I that I couldn't even let Jane have a fun day. I go to my bed and simply throw myself on it. My face hits the pillow and I let out an angry muffled yell not trying to let the tears fall down my eyes and whisper to myself, "Happy 16th Birthday, Penelope." I open my eyes and look up to my ceiling. I guess it'll be another sleepless night.
Flashback Ends
I move around hearing the birds chirp from outside the window. I use my pillow and throw it towards the noise of the birds without opening my eyes. I hear laughter coming from beside me and open my eyes to see Ethan on the other side of the couch laughing at my recent action. I let out a laugh of my own and lean against the couch in a more comfortable position.
Last night Ethan and me spent the whole time watching movies and talking about other things to distract me. We played card games, got on our phones and just stayed in silence sometimes. I guess we both fell asleep on the couch while doing one of those things.
I inhaled and stretched while Ethan did the same. Both our backs cracked causing for us to have a laughing fit. After a while we both stopped and just got up.
"I'm hungry, do you wanna go to Linda's?" Says Ethan with a groggy expression. I nod my head obviously wanting to go get food. "Do you still have some of my clothes here?"
"Yup." I say while going up the stairs. He follows me and I lead him to my room. "I'm going to take a shower so you can get your clothes from my closet and take a shower in the bathroom in the hallway if you want." He nods and gets some of his clothes before walking out and closing the door behind him.
I go get clothes of my own and go to the bathroom connected to my room. I turn on the water and begin to strip. As I walk in the warm water hits my back and relaxes all my tense muscles. I begin massaging my scout as to stop a headache from starting. After doing everything, I get out and wrap a towel around myself. After drying myself and putting on my clothes I walk to my mirror and contemplate my outfit.
I decided on light blue denim mom shorts with a nirvana shirt. I tucked the shirt in the shorts and put a black belt on. Finally I put on my black sneakers to finish the look. I attempt to dry my hair and walk out to the living room to see Ethan done too.
He has on a grey hoodie with black ripped jeans. His hair is wet from his shower but I can still see some of the water droplets run down his face. In all honesty if my heart didn't belong to Noah then you would know what we would be doing right now.
"You look nice." He says while looking at me walk down the stairs.
I laugh and say, "You don't look bad yourself." We walk out my house and decide on going in his car.
As he drives I lean my head against the car window and look at the trees passing by. The soft tune of the car radio playing in the background and the clouds that move slow but not slow enough to the human eye.
The car comes to a stop and we get out. We walk in the diner and I can't help but look around it. I follow Ethan to a booth and sit on the opposite side. Is anyone in her one too? Will they hurt us? I contemplate so much that I don't even realize someone came to take our order.
Ethan clears his throat as to get my attention and I give the girl working my order of a single grilled cheese sandwich. Ethan says his order and the waitress leaves. "Are you okay?" Asks Ethan with a worried expression.
"Yea Im fine." I say while having a smile on my face.
"Oh ok then. Are you happy for next month?" Ethan says with such enthusiasm.
"What's next month?" I ask confused but with a smile still on my face.
"Are you serious?" Ethan seemed bothered by my response. "You don't remember whats going on next month?" I slowly shake my head while my smile slowly fades.
"What's so important about next month?" I say confused.
"Penelope," Ethan looks at me unamused by my confusion. "Next month is your birthday. You're turning 18." I let out a small oh and give him a fake smile. I don't celebrate it anymore. I don't have a reason to, the only thing it does is remind me of the day my parents died. "Aren't you happy you're turning 18?"
I nod while biting my grilled cheese sandwich. After slowly swallowing my bite I respond with, "I am. I was just taken by surprise. I haven't celebrated it in a while."
Ethan exhales loudly, "Of course you don't." After a bit of silence he says. "Do you want to go see Robbie? He doesn't work today." I agree because he changed the subject but if I know him as much as I think I do then I know he'll bring it back up. "You haven't gone to school lately." I nod knowing I haven't. "If you don't go you'll fail this year, dumbass." He says with a playful smirk while eating a forkful of his eggs.
I give him a playful glare and say, "I won't I'll catch up eventually. You know before I moved here I was one of the smartest of my year. If I wanted to I would have been valedictorian." He looks at me and rolls his eyes playfully while muttering a quiet sure. "I'm serious." I say with a laugh.
After finishing our breakfast we drive to Robbie's house in hopes to annoy him for a little while.
We knock on his door and wait. You can hear shuffling in the other side and me and Ethan just look at each other confused. After a couple of minutes Robbie appears in front of us. "Oh my, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing both of you rascals here today?" He says in his soothing voice. He moves aside to let us enter and we do so thankfully.
Both Ethan and I greet him before sitting on his couch that we oh so much have come to like. Sometimes Robbie would invite me and Ethan to his house for food or just to relax with him. I considered him much like a father because of the many gestures he would do for me. "Guess what Robbie?" Says Ethan with a look of annoyance.
Robbie walks to this kitchen and gets what I believe was a cup of tea. He slowly walks back to the living room and sits in the couch in front of us. Sipping his tea, Robbie looks at Ethans expression and then me and lowers his cup. "What did Penelope do this time?"
I release a fake gasp. "Do you really think that any time we come here and Ethan says guess what it has to do with me?" I say with a playful tone. I try to act as hurt as possible with his words but he just shakes his head while quietly laughing.
Ethan responds to Robbies question. "She forgot her birthday was next month."
Robbie looks at me and has a sad look on his face. "It's no big deal. It's just my birthday. I can go another year without no one celebrating it." I say as a rebuttal.
"Penelope," Ethan looks at me with a angry expression. "It's been about 3 years that you haven't celebrated your birthday. From what you've told me at 15 you were moving here so you couldn't talk to your friends from where your from. At 16 you didn't speak to anyone and at 17 you told me a month after your birthday."
Robbie continues sipping his tea while seeing Ethan discuss my birthday with me. I look at Robbie for help so he can calm down Ethan. He looks at me and places his tea on his coffee table in between the couches. He clears his throat and Ethan moves his attention towards him. "Now Ethan I know you're upset that your best friend hasn't celebrated her birthday but you can't force her to celebrate it." I send him a thankful look before he continues speaking. "But you can go to her house and spend it with her, so she won't be lonely on her special day."
I grunt not wanting for him to celebrate my birthday while Ethan nods his head in success. Robbie chuckles a bit while continuing to talk. "So how is it going with the guy that you got all drunk over." I can feel my cheeks become red from the embarrassment.
"Um, let's just say we talked a bit before we got into another discussion." I say while looking down. In all honesty Noah and my relationship looked like a child's relationship. Together one day and broken up the next. But we were technically still kids so what can I say.
"Well technically it wasn't a discussion." Says Ethan giving his feedback. "He didn't tell you something which by the looks of it was important. So yea. It was more like a back stabbing secret he kept from you." I glare at him. "What? I'm just saying what I think." He says with a defensive tone. "I told you already if you like him think about it. Why do you think he kept it from you."
Robbie nods with Ethan's sentence. "Ethan boy you might look like an idiot but you give some great advice." I laugh at Robbies comment and look at Ethans displeased face.
"Well old man, what can I say I only use my brain when it's important." Ethan says back with a playful tone.
After a couple moments of silence between us I think about it. Was I doing a mistake? Should I forgive him even after how it was revealed to me? What if my fear takes over and I can't form a proper sentence? Oh gosh. Why is my life so messed up?