Falling Away #Watty 2023

•Chapter 36•

I TOOK A DEEP BREATH and exhaled as Dylan pulled into the driveway. He parked the car in the garage, and we both remained seated in silence for a while, the only sound being my breathing and the soft ticking of the dashboard clock.

"Whatever prompted those words isn't really important now. You need to focus on your priorities, and that's maintaining good grades," Dylan finally broke the silence.

Priorities, how could I forget those?

"Thanks, I'm already over it," I replied, my voice catching slightly as I caught his gaze on me. I swallowed hard and exited the car, making my way up the stairs to the front door with Dylan following behind me.

As I reached for the doorknob, I felt a hand on my shoulder, halting me in my tracks. I turned to face Dylan. "If you ever need anything, I'm here for you. Even if it's not academic-related, I'll help you," he said, his voice softening.

"Thanks," I mumbled, then pushed the door open and stepped inside.

I flopped onto the bed as soon as I reached my room, pulling out my phone. Opening my chat box, I began typing a message to Gemma.

Zoey
I'm tripping. First day didn't go well.

Gemma
Aw! Do tell! What happened???

Zoey
My resolution thing isn't going well, I met a guy here and I just blurted out everything to him. I still can't believe I went teary in front of him.

Gemma
Well, it's no big deal. You're still gonna see him tomorrow, you gotta be yourself.

Zoey
You're probably right, thank you, Gemma. Sorry I forgot to text earlier, I joined the women's basket team here in New York and gosh they're so fun to be with.

Gemma
Wow, well my life had been going smoothly lately. I'm resuming college next week, and If there's time I might come visit. It's forty-one minutes to Columbia University from NYC, I don't mind getting on that bus for you.

Zoey
That would be great! I can't wait to see you again.

Gemma
I hope your day improves.

A slight knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, and soon Mackenzie's head peeked inside. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with two curls framing her forehead. "Zoey?" she said softly. "Sorry if I woke you up."

I waved my hand dismissively and chuckled. "No worries, I was just resting," I replied, sitting up in bed. "Is everything okay?"

She nodded and entered the room. "Yeah, I just wanted to check on you. I noticed you came in with Dylan earlier, and you seemed a bit moody. First days aren't always smooth sailing, mine had its hiccups too," she said, taking a seat beside me and clasping her hands in her lap.

"Yeah, but it wasn't all bad," I chuckled lightly.

"Dinner will be served at eight o'clock sharp," she informed me before settling more comfortably on the bed.

My stomach rumbled faintly, reminding me that food was becoming increasingly appealing. "Is there anything in the kitchen, like a snack I can have before dinner?" I asked.

"Not much, but there's cereal if you're hungry," she replied, sitting up straight. "I need to pick up a few things from the mall. Want to come along?"

I nodded eagerly, grabbing my phone. "Sure, let me get dressed."

"MY PARENTS LOVE THIS SPOT," Mackenzie said with a broad smile as we settled near a waterfall. The setting sun cast a beautiful glow over everything, reflecting off the water's surface in an array of colors. It reminded me of Mrs. Becca's secret spot.

"This looks amazing!" I exclaimed, captivated by the breathtaking view. It was the kind of scenery that could make any tourist fall in love with New York.

A cool breeze brushed past my hair, tossing a few strands into my face. I brushed them away with a finger and tucked them behind my ear, soaking in the view and the sounds of nature around us. "Thank you for bringing me here," I finally said after a while, opening my eyes to gaze at the sky.

"Everyone has a special place they hold dearly in their hearts," Mackenzie said, stretching a cup of banana smoothie towards me. "To me, this is mine. This place reminds me of family moments, happy ones."

I smiled and accepted the smoothie from her. "I also knew of a place like this one that reminded me of forgiveness and love. It was a secret hideout for a wonderful person," I said, taking a sip.

"Forgiveness," she mused. "That's a tough one for me. How can you look at someone who has hurt you so badly and still think of forgiveness?" Mackenzie asked, looking straight at me. Her gaze held no malice or accusation, but rather seemed directed towards something deeper, perhaps the world or herself.

I fell silent, lost in my thoughts as I sipped the smoothie. It was clear she wasn't in the mood to accept whatever response I might offer. We sat in silence for a while until she broke it. "Do you have a boyfriend, or anyone you have a crush on?"

Her question caught me off guard, and I nearly choked on my drink, coughing uncontrollably as a result. "What?" I managed to splutter out, wiping spittle off my chin and turning to meet her eyes, confusion written all over my face.

She tilted her head and chuckled softly, causing my cheeks to flush with embarrassment. "I didn't expect that reaction from you," she said.

"It's alright, it caught me off guard. I'm not very good at reacting to unexpected questions," I admitted, taking another sip of the smoothie.

"If this is her way of changing the topic, she sucks at it," I thought to myself.

"Sorry for the awkward question, I just needed something to take my mind off the forgiveness stuff," she said, smiling brightly.

I returned her grin, relieved to change the subject. "No problem. To answer your question, I haven't been involved with anyone in a while. I don't think I want to complicate things right now," I said, recalling my list of resolutions in my head.

"That's a good approach. I love your vibes. If I hadn't met mine, I might have stuck to yours," she said. "But my boyfriend is amazing. He's funny, he listens, and he treats me with total love. Sometimes you just have to go for what you want, and if you want it badly enough, you'll find what you're willing to give yourself to. Just don't expect perfection in every relationship; everyone deserves happiness."

I rolled my eyes in irritation, eager to move on from the conversation.

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