by C. M. Boers
Both cars had significant damage, but nothing to impair them from driving away. Pete’s had a humongous dent in the bumper and trunk, and one of the taillights was broken and would have to be replaced right away. The other car wasn’t as bad and both headlights were intact, but the bumper was severely dented and it would need a new grill.
“It’s fine, accidents happen. Do you have your insurance information?”
“Fine? Yeah right! You better have your insurance!” Pete said accusingly.
The driver went to get his insurance card and I could hear Eli talking to Pete in hushed tones.
“You need to calm down. You’re embarrassing yourself and scaring the girls,” Eli told him.
“I am not embarrassing myself. You’re embarrassing me!” Pete hissed.
I couldn’t believe how he was acting. It was such a turn off. Eli was saying more to him that I couldn’t hear, but it seemed to just make Pete more upset. He got in Eli’s face and I could see Eli getting mad. Then he must have said something Pete didn’t like, because he began wincing and grabbed his ears as he backed away. I could finally see what he was referring to when he said I shouldn’t be around him alone in case something set him off. I completely underestimated the level of anger Eli was referring to. I would not want to be at the wrong end of that anger.
The police arrived before the other driver could come back with his insurance card. Pete’s demeanor changed drastically once they arrived, making him look extremely suspicious. They asked Pete to get his information and made note of everyone’s account of what happened. As expected, they found the other driver to be at fault for causing the accident, and he was given a ticket.
The police left shortly after that, and so did we.
“I think we should call it a night,” I said, hoping to not upset Pete anymore.
“I think that's a good idea,” Eli agreed quickly.
“Fine!” Pete said furiously.
Suddenly Pete flipped a U-turn, sending us all flying into the right side of the car. I sighed and was wondered if I should have just listened to Eli in the first place when he told me to stay away from Pete. I think Eli sensed I was upset, because I felt a hand rubbing my right arm reassuringly. It helped to know I wasn’t alone and that he was there for me nonetheless. We were just pulling up to my house when I felt his hand slowly slip away.
“Sorry about your car,” I said once we got to the door. Bailey and Eli went inside to give us time alone, but I figured that Eli was watching from a window.
“It’s not your fault. I’ll see you later,” he said, leaving more quickly than I expected without so much as a hug goodbye.
I lingered on the porch, hugging myself, waiting for the night to sink in. I felt completely lost. I had been so looking forward to the date, and now I wasn’t so sure about Pete at all. I had a lot of thinking to do and was hoping I wouldn’t hear ‘I told you so’ from Eli. Instead, when he stepped outside the front door, I was greeted by a big hug from him. It was a huge relief. I could see that he had been extremely worried, but I couldn’t see why he was so worried about me. We had all been in the car; not just me.
“Bailey and I were thinking the three of us could watch a movie since our night got cut short. You in?” he asked gingerly.
“Sure,” I answered faintly.
“You okay? You look really...”
I cut him off. “I’m fine, really. I just feel a little stupid. Where’s Bailey?”
“She went to pick out a movie and hey—you’re not stupid,” he said reassuringly. He turned my head to face his. “Got it?”
“Okay, I’ll be right there. Just give me a minute.”
“Alright, but if you aren’t in there in five minutes I'm sending a search party,” he joked.
I smiled as Eli went back into the living room to be with Bailey.
I stood on the porch for a few more minutes, and then took a deep breath and headed into the living room. One thing I did realize was that I had an amazing, true friend in Eli, and that couldn’t have made me feel more at home. There was no question about it—he was my best friend.
The movie seemed to drag on forever. I guessed it was because I couldn’t even pay attention even though it was playing right in front of my face. All I could think about was Pete. I couldn’t believe the way he reacted to a simple accident. I felt terrible, especially since I had been completely wrong about his temper that Eli had even warned me about. I hated to be wrong, and in that instance I had been off by a mile. I didn’t want a relationship with someone that flew off the handle like that all the time. It would be too dangerous.
Then again, maybe tonight had just been a fluke. Maybe he didn’t always have a temper like that. I could see that he had been distracted by Eli, and maybe even felt a little competitive. He could have been overwhelmed, so he acted irrationally and out of character. I couldn’t figure out if I should give him the benefit of the doubt or not. At the same time, despite any circumstances, it was unacceptable to act that way in my opinion. Eli would be disappointed if I were to give him a second chance, so I couldn’t talk this through with him. I also wasn’t sure how Bailey would feel; she was rightfully upset at the way he acted, and would probably tell me to move on. I felt so alone.
I was glad when the movie ended. I couldn’t wait to go to sleep, and my emotions were all over the place. Bailey walked Eli outside, and I went upstairs to leave them alone and get ready for bed.
When Bailey walked into my room she had a big smile on her face. I knew she had been excited to go on the date too, and I was sad that it had been partially ruined by Pete. But she didn’t seem upset; in fact, she looked blissful.
“What’s that big smile for?” I asked curiously.
“He gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek! Ahh, isn’t he great?” she beamed, plopping down on the bed next to me.
“He is,” was all I could say and I meant it. However, I couldn’t help but feel slightly remorseful as I said it.
“I hope he asks me to go out again,” she continued.
“Yeah, hopefully next time doesn’t get cut short like tonight did,” I said truthfully.
“Well, technically it didn’t get cut short, our plans just changed. Your date got cut short though... I’m sorry. Here I am, excited about Eli, and you’re probably upset about what happened tonight. You’re not hurt from the accident are you?”
“No, I’m fine. Just shaken up I guess. I don’t know what to do now; I don’t know why Pete acted the way he did...” My voice trailed off, and I was lost again in thought.
“He definitely overreacted but who knows why? He seems like he can’t control his temper very well though.”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“I’m beat,” Bailey said.
“Me too.”
Bailey went to the bathroom and got ready for bed. I fixed up the bed in my room for her and I was already in bed when she returned.
I laid in bed for a long time that night thinking. Sometime around 3:30 in the morning I finally fell asleep, and it wasn’t a peaceful sleep. That night, my nightmares were even more realistic than they normally were. I could feel the heat around me and the dust in my lungs. I felt out of breath when I opened my eyes, as if I had actually been running.
CHAPTER FIVE
It was already after 10 a.m. when I woke up. I didn’t bother getting dressed and went straight downstairs in my pajama shorts and tank top, where I found Bailey sitting at the table eating breakfast with my mom. There was a place set at the table for me next to Bailey, and in the center of the table there was a plates overflowing with pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs. There was also a large pitcher of orange juice off to the side.
“Good morning, sleepy head!” Bailey chimed.
“Morning,” I said, still feeling a little groggy.
“Bailey was just telling me that you were in a car accident last night,” Mom said sternly.
“Yeah, it wasn’t a big deal, just a fender-bender. I’m fine and
so is everyone else.”
“You never called me.”
“I didn’t have a number to call you at and you weren’t home when we went to bed, so I didn’t want to leave a note and worry you for nothing. I figured that I would tell you when I got up this morning.”
“Next time, and hopefully there won’t be a next time, I want you to find a way to get a hold of me. I will get a cell phone today to ensure that won’t happen again.”
“Okay,” I answered, slightly annoyed.
Even though Bailey hadn’t meant any harm, I was irritated that she had told her before I got up, because she was probably worried sick. My mom always worried more than necessary, and I tried to tell myself Bailey had no way of knowing that.
“You need to call your dad too. He will want to know about it.”
I had planned on calling him after Bailey left, but was on the fence on whether I was going to tell him about the car accident. Apparently, Mom had made that decision for me. He didn’t worry quite as much as my mom, so it wouldn’t be that big of a deal to tell him. On the other hand, now that I was in another state it could be worse since he couldn’t physically see that I was fine.
“I planned on it,” I lied.
Bailey, who had been sitting quietly listening to mom and I talk, finally broke her silence. “Wow, Abby your mom makes a good breakfast!”
I doubted she could be any more obvious with her subject change but I was thankful anyway. She could probably tell I was getting slightly aggravated; it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.
“Yeah, mom is really big on breakfast,” I said. I could see my mom smile at the remark though she never looked up from her plate.
“Well, I’m done,” mom said, standing up. She grabbed her plate and empty glass. “You girls enjoy your breakfast.”
She walked out and it was silent for a moment.
“How’d you sleep?” I asked Bailey.
“Good. You must have too, because you were out like a light. You are definitely not a light sleeper.” She laughed.
I laughed too. “I can be really hard to wake up sometimes.”
Actually, I usually was a light sleeper, even with nightmares. I often woke up at the drop of a hat, as if it was my body’s defense against the dream. I couldn’t understand how I could have been sleeping so heavily the night before.
We finished the rest of our meal slowly and quietly, lost in thought. Then we cleaned up the breakfast dishes together and made jokes, making the time go by faster. Bailey would have to go home after she got ready since she still had homework to do before Monday. I was glad that I would get some time to myself.
As soon as Bailey left the phone rang. It was Pete. Surely he knew I was upset about what happened on our date. I didn’t even know if I felt like talking to him at all.
“Abby, I want to talk to you about what happened yesterday. Can I come over?”
His sincere voice almost had me saying yes, and then I remembered that I wasn’t supposed to be alone with him. Rules aside, as I thought about it a little more I realized that I actually didn’t want to be alone with him.
“Actually, no. I have some things I need to get done before my mom gets home and she wouldn’t want anyone over until they are done, and tonight we’re supposed to spend some time together.”
“Oh. Well...” he paused. “I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I don’t know what came over me; I overreacted. I am really sorry you had to see that, you shouldn’t have.”
I didn’t really know what to say. Did he mean I shouldn’t have had to see it because he didn’t want me to see the real him, or just because it was not a normal occurrence?
“It’s okay, I guess.” I really wasn’t over it and his apology didn’t make up for it in the slightest, but I didn’t know what else to say.
“I hope you’ll forgive me. I would like to have a second chance to take you out.”
“I’ll have to think about it.”
“Oh, okay,” he said sounding defeated. “I guess I can understand that, I will let you get back to what you were doing then.”
“Alright, bye.”
I felt slightly better knowing that he was remorseful. I wasn’t sure that I could ever trust him again. I rubbed my temples, trying to get rid of the stress headache I was feeling. I’m not sure how he could have expected anything else from me.
I heard the front door open and shut.
“Hey Abby, I have a surprise for you! Where are you?”
“In the living room,” I called back. She walked into the room, holding a phone up in the air. “Oh, you got a new phone. Cool.” I didn't know why that was a surprise. I already knew she was getting one.
“It’s for you.”
She had bought me a cell phone. Holy cow!
“Oh my gosh, Mom! Thanks!” I squealed in delight.
I had wanted a cell phone for the longest time, and had been hinting about it for quite some time. It would make life so much easier, not having to find a phone every time I needed to call to check in. Plus, almost everyone my age and even younger had them, so having the ability to text my friends was exciting. It sure beat note passing, although that would still probably happen. I was sort of behind when it came to technology.
“You’re welcome. I thought about it, and if you’re going to be able to call me in case of emergencies you are going to need a phone too.”
“Thanks mom,” I said as I hugged her.
I grabbed the phone and ran upstairs to check it out. It was a smart phone and pink, my favorite color. The smart phone aspect would come in handy when I got my car since it had GPS. I wasn’t that great with directions, and learning the area around me hadn’t really been a priority so far.
“Be careful about how much you talk on it, we’re sharing a plan!” she shouted up the stairs after me.
Before long I had programmed all of my friend’s phone numbers into it, including Eli, Pete and Bailey. I loved it, though I had never had a cell phone before so I had nothing to compare it to. I wanted to call my dad on it, but then I remembered what mom said about the minutes and called him on the house phone instead.
He picked up on the first ring and sounded like he was relaxing. All in all he seemed to take the news of the accident okay, but he was worried about me still. I tried to keep him at ease by telling him about the cell phone mom bought me. I made sure to give him the number before we finished talking. He was doing well and was considering a visit already. The thought of him coming made me excited, even if it wasn’t for a few weeks.
The next morning, when Eli picked me up, I told him about Pete calling me to apologize. He acted shocked to find out that Pete actually had a conscience. I shoved his shoulder at his poor attempt at a joke. Whether or not it was a common occurrence for Pete, it wasn’t like he was going to just let it fly each and every time he blew up. He wouldn’t have such a good reputation if that were the case. I knew that just as well as Eli, even if he wouldn’t admit it.
“He also said that he wanted to take me out again sometime to make it up to me,” I said trying not to look in his direction. I wasn’t sure how he would take that—I wasn’t even sure how I took it.
“And what did you say? Please tell me you told him no.”
“I told him I had to think about it.”
“What? How could you even consider going back out with him? Think of how awful he was.”
“Well, I still want to find out what happened. I’m just not sure it’s worth it yet. And I’m not sure that I still have your support. Not to mention, I’m still not sure I even want to be around him at all. There are a lot of things to think about and it’s all so confusing.” I crossed my arms and looked out the window.
“Now more than ever I would think that you wouldn’t want to be around him, but if you for some strange reason decide you still want to date him I will stand by you, that’s what friends do, right?”
“I am so glad to hear that, I
was so worried that you wouldn’t.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Well, because of how he acted. I figured that you would be mad at me for even considering it. I’m kind of mad at me for considering it,” I admitted. I stared at my feet, unwilling to look up for even a second.
“Oh, I will say it’s not what I expect, but I am not mad and I don’t think you should be at yourself either. I may not agree with you, but you have done nothing wrong!”
“I know. You don’t know how relieved I am to hear that you aren’t mad,” I said. “Oh, guess what!”
“What?”
“My mom got me a cell phone!”
“Awesome! Welcome to the world of technology,” he joked.
“Give me your phone, I’ll put my number in.” I held out my hand.
He pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it into my lap. I was impressed with his nice phone, and quickly punched in my new number to save it. Just as I was about to hand it back to him I noticed he had a picture of a man and woman as his screen background. I wondered if it was his mom and dad, but didn’t dare ask. I quickly tried to hand it back to him before he caught me staring at it.
When I arrived at math class I saw Pete already there. It was a class I had been dreading all weekend since our disaster date. I had been trying to prepare myself to talk to him, but nothing could seem to prepare me soon enough. Even though I knew that he regretted it, that didn’t make me feel any better. My stomach did a flop of anticipation, and I tried to make as little noise as possible when I sat down so he wasn’t alerted of my presence. I was unsuccessful.
“Hi,” was all he said.
“Hi,” I responded coldly.
There were still a few minutes before the bell was going to ring and the start of class. A second felt like a minute, a minute felt like an hour, and so on.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” I answered vaguely.