Falling Away #Watty 2023

•Chapter 20•

THE GAME ENDED, and we lost. As we walked out of the court toward our bus, I was fuming, and I could tell the rest of the team felt the same way. It felt like a missed opportunity.

We were so close to winning when the ball slipped out of Trina's hands and landed on the floor. One of our opponents caught it, and they ultimately secured the victory.

Silence engulfed the bus as we rode back, nobody wanting to talk about the game. Trina sat there sweating, her head hung low and her eyes closed. I had mixed feelings toward her. While I couldn't deny that her mistake cost us the game, I also couldn't blame her for giving her all and chasing her passion.

Exiting the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my wet body and another on my head, I trudged to my closet and grabbed a pair of black shorts and a yellow shirt.

As I blow-dried my hair, there was a knock on the door. "I'm coming," I called out, quickly finishing up and combing my hair into a ponytail before answering the door.

Dad walked in. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Dad," I replied, forcing a smile.

"How was the game?"

"We lost, for the first time," I replied solemnly.

Dad sighed. "Life can be like that sometimes. You don't always win, Zoey. I'm sorry for not being the best dad to you." There was genuine remorse in his eyes as he spoke. He picked up one of my books from the shelf and glanced at the title, chuckling before showing it to me.

"You read this? Where did you get it from?" He asked, surprised.

"Mrs. Becca gave it to me," I explained.

He nodded, curious. "It helps. Zoey, sometimes we do things and think they're the right thing to do. But when we realize they aren't and that we were wrong, we try to correct them."

His words struck a chord with me, and I contemplated their meaning. "Does that mean we don't deserve forgiveness?"

I thought about all the things I'd done to Gemma and how she forgave me without hesitation, never bringing it up again. Dad's words made sense now; it wasn't just about Mom.

"We do," I replied, the realization sinking in slowly.

"Sometimes we don't know the value of what we have until we don't have it anymore. That's when we start to see its worth. And that's when regret sets in. In the case of your mom, she left because she didn't know its value," Dad explained, his voice tinged with sadness. "Maybe all she needed was some time away from us to realize its value."

I took a seat on the bed, listening intently to Dad's words.

"I know you're angry that she left, and I was too. But realizing all she went through because of her mistakes made me forgive her, and I think you should too."

The image of Liam's dad and what he did flashed through my mind. How would Liam feel if someday his dad came out of prison and begged him for forgiveness? Would he look his dad in the eyes after all he'd done?

"Your mom has changed a lot since she came back," Dad continued, moving to sit next to me on the bed. "All I want for this family is for us to unite in love. Your baby brother needs his sister's love."

Unable to hold back the tears any longer, I felt a weight lift from my heart as I was ready to forgive Mom. Dad pulled me close for a hug, offering comfort.

"You're gonna be fine," he reassured me.

The door creaked open slowly, and Dad left, leaving Mom and me alone. She sat on the bed next to me, her face marked with scars. I stood up, uncertain of what to say.

"Zoey, I'm sorry for not being the kind of mom you've always wanted. I know I don't deserve to be called your mother after all I made you go through. Mrs. Becca told me everything." Her voice trembled with emotion, tears welling in her eyes.

"I'm sorry for all I did, for locking you up in your room that day you told your father about my affair with that guy. Please forgive me, and if there's a way I could make you forget all that, I would do it right now."

Wiping away my tears, I took a seat next to her. "You don't have to, Mom. I was angry that you left, but that's in the past. Let's forget about the past," I said, feeling a sense of relief.

"I'm so, so sorry, sweetie." Mom pulled me into a hug, and I hugged her back, feeling a sense of healing begin.

GEMMA AND I SAT NEXT to the pool, our legs swaying in the cold water as we sipped on cold alcoholic drinks from red Styrofoam cups. The entire place echoed with loud music, filled with my classmates and, of course, the birthday girl, Anna Jenkins. She was in a gold dress adorned with crystal sequins, dancing with her boyfriend, her waist moving perfectly across his torso.

"Let's go inside," I told Gemma, taking another sip and emptying the cup. We stood up and made our way into the living room, which was bustling with people. The music was even louder inside, and I collapsed into the empty space next to Sarah, who was almost throwing up with the way she was kissing Justin.

"Hey, baby. Obviously, you're lonely," Justin said, spreading his arm around Sarah's shoulder.

"She isn't," Gemma interjected, taking a seat on the couch opposite us.

Sarah rolled her eyes heavenward and bit her lower lip. "Let Zoey speak for herself, don't try to act smart."

I coughed and rolled my eyes. "Like you have anything better to do than discuss someone else's business," I retorted, grabbing the bottle from the table, filling the cup next to it, and downing it in one gulp. "Isn't it cool here! This is the best party ever."

Returning the empty cup to the table, I filled it up again. "Zoey, you're drinking too much. You're going to get drunk," Gemma cautioned.

"I'm not, just two cups won't make me drunk," I laughed, taking a handful of chips from the bowl on the table and stuffing them into my mouth.

"Who broke your heart, Zoey?" Betty asked, sitting next to Gemma.

"Look who decided to talk to me," I remarked, and Betty burst out laughing.

"As if you care if I exist."

"I wasn't a good friend anyway." Taking another cup of drink, I noticed Liam walking in with Tony and Josh. They were heading my way, so I stood up and started walking toward the other side of the room.

"Where are you going?" Gemma asked.

"I'm going to the restroom; you can chill with them," I replied, staggering toward the inner part of the room. I could feel my head spinning and a sharp burn in my throat, and then I threw up several times. "Sorry, can't find my way to the bathroom."

"It's that way, and you're irritating," Daphne squealed.

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