Only One I Call Home

Chapter 12 - "I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different..."

Chapter 12

“I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”

-       Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

The problem with love was that it was harder than they made out on the T.V. People think love is a fragile, beautiful thing that is pure and rare and everything that anyone could ever hope for but they’re wrong. Love can tear your insides out and hang them to dry just with a smile. Love is an evil and cruel being and she should never be trusted.

I had forced Trey to leave before me the next morning and I was pretty sure that Tully had heard him making his escape because when I sat down for breakfast she smirked at me.

I frowned. “What?”

“How was your night?” She asked, arching an eyebrow.

I shrugged and poured myself a glass of juice. “Fine.”

She sighed happily and leant forward on the bench. “So when do I get to meet him?”

I shook my head. “It’s never going to happen.”

“Why not?” She faked a pout. “I promise I’ll be on my best behaviour.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “I’m not even ready to introduce myself to him so let’s just keep it at that.”

She rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the bench to butter the toast that had just popped up. “You can’t keep denying it, Mads. You’re going to have to face the truth sooner or later.”

“I choose later.” I mumbled. I was dressed in my school uniform and ready to go but suddenly I had no desire to walk out the front door.

She sighed. “You know that poor boy is going to see you at school today and just assume everything’s okay.”

I shook my head. “He’s a lot smarter than that, and he knows me better than that. He probably won’t even speak to me.”

“She says hopefully.” Tully frowned at me. “You can’t string him along. Someone else will jump in there and snatch him away. He won’t wait around forever and if you think he will then you’re quite pathetic.”

I looked down at the tiles. “I was sort of counting on the fact that he wouldn’t. If he gets over me first then that’s that, I’m left with no choice but to move on.”

“That’s a stupid way to see it. You both want each other, go for.” She watched me open my mouth ready for defence and cut me off. “Don’t tell me it’s not that easy because it is.”

I sighed heavily. “I guess that’s where we’re different.”

She scoffed. “It’s not the only thing that’s different about us.”

I rolled my eyes and attempted to change the subject. “So we’re working tonight, right?”

She gave me a look. “We always work on Tuesday nights, maybe I’ll give Trey your old job and see what happens.”

I groaned. “Could we please not talk about him today? It’s only breakfast and all ready it’s all I can think about.”

She laughed. “It’s all you think about regardless of if I mention it or not.”

I whipped her with the tea towel on the bench. “Fuck off, Tully.”

It just made her laugh even more. “Come on, we’re going to be late for school.”