Camp Wisahickon

Chapter Thirty Seven

Pretty short chapter, but enjoy :) 

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"I can't believe I have to go home," I mutter indignantly as we wait in line for our coffees. "I just got here."

Poppy looks at me and gives me a sad smile. "You could just stay, you know."

I return the sad smile. "I wish," I tell her with a sigh. "The only reason I'm going back is because I don't want to get Carter in trouble with his mom."

Our coffees are called out by the pick up station, and we eagerly sweep them off the counter. As we're walking back toward the exit, I can feel Poppy study me, and I almost knew what was going to come out of her mouth next.

"What's going on with you and your parents, Mina?" She asks cautiously.

I push open the doors to the coffee shop and feel the chill bite my cheeks. "And here I thought you wouldn't bring it up."

Poppy smirks at me. "You didn't think you'd get away without telling me what's on your mind, did you?"

We walk to the bench on the side of the road as we wait for Carter to get the car from the parking garage. I pulled my jacket a little closer and wrapped my hands around my coffee in an attempt to squeeze every possible bit of warmth from the cup that I could.

"I told them I'm not going to Juilliard," I finally reveal, and then glance at her to gauge her wide eyed reaction. "My mom doesn't mind much, but my dad is livid."

"Wow," Poppy breathes. "You actually told them."

I understood her surprise because, well, up until this summer, I was going to just go to Juilliard and live by my parents rulebook.

"I stayed at Carter's last night after I told them," I add. "I left the house, but I knew that I wouldn't have been welcomed to stay."

Poppy was silent for a moment, probably trying to absorb the information. I glanced out at the street as the cars slowed to a stop when the light turned red. My gaze zeroed in on a family as they crossed the street holding hands and laughing at something the young daughter had said.

Something in my heart shifted as I longed to be a happy family like they were. The closest our family ever came to looking like that was when I did something really extraordinary and my father was proud of me. But now that I've quit the only thing I'm extraordinary at, I would lose the closest to 'happy family' I would ever reach. 

"Have you talked to them?" Poppy questions next, effectively tearing my gaze away from the happy family.

I shake my head. "No."

She gives me a hesitant look and says, "You should call your mom, Mina. Let her know you're okay."

"But she's probably with him," I reason bitterly. "If he doesn't care enough to find out if I'm okay, then I don't want to give him any peace of mind."

I knew I was being stubborn but I couldn't help it. Talking about my dad made me picture the sheer anger on his face last night when I told him I wasn't going to Juilliard. It made me remember the disgusted disappointment that covered his eyes as he regarded me afterward.

"Your mom isn't the same person as your dad," Poppy reminds me gently. "It sounds like she changed. She's probably worried sick."

And then a semblance of the previous guilt I had for not talking to her returned, and I gave. I decided to text her on the way back to let her know that I was okay, and that I was with Carter.

I lean into Poppy and let out a breath. "Okay, Poppy, but only because you asked nicely."

She grins. "I didn't ask," And then her smile fades a little and she asks, "Have you heard back from NYU yet?"