~Erin’s point of view~
“Have a safe flight,” Jennifer told AJ and Amy, when they stopped by before they left.
“Later, man,” Kevin added.
“Bye, peeps. See ya when we get back from Paris!” AJ told the guys.
“Send me a postcard,” I told Amy.
They grabbed their coats and headed outside to their car. The sky was gray and the temperature was even worse than yesterday.
“Well… I’d better get going, too,” Brian told me a moment later.
“Where is it your going, anyway?”
“I have to buy some Christmas presents for my family. I can’t show up tomorrow empty handed.”
“Okay. Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” I asked.
He nodded. “You’d be bored outta your mind watching me try to get a tie or something for my dad and some perfume for my mom.”
“Oh, well, bye.”
“I’ll call you later about lunch, okay?”
“Alright,” I said, expecting a kiss or something before he left. But he avoided my eyes again and left without another word.
Jennifer and Howie and Kevin and Tracy had left earlier. They split the cost of a cab to the airport. It looked like Tracy had not only forgiven Kevin, but Jennifer, too.
“So…” I turned to Nick and Heather.
“I have good news…” Heather said.
“What?” I was definitely in the mood to hear some.
“I talked to Tracy and Jen before they left… if we can, we’re going to try to get our old dorm room back!”
“Really? That’s awesome! Does that mean I can throw my current roommate off a bridge?”
“Well, if your in prison I don’t think they’ll let you have any dorm room at your college,” Nick pointed out.
“Details, details,” I ignored him. “This house keeps getting emptier and emptier.”
“Well, it’ll fill up again tomorrow,” Heather pointed out. “Are you going back home for Christmas?”
“I think so. I need to call my parents today.”
“Alright. If not, your more than welcome to stay with us,” Heather offered. Nick gave her a look that I couldn’t read.
“Thanks,” I said, my thoughts returning to Brian.
“What’s wrong?” Nick asked.
“Nothing,” I went to the kitchen.
“Is it Brian?” Heather asked.
I nodded. “I mean, I have barely seen or talked to him in months! I was so happy to see him… and he could care less that I’m even here! We barely talked yesterday. We were supposed to go out to dinner last night alone, and he was like ‘well, I think we’d better say good bye to everyone else.’ And he hardly even looked at me at dinner! Much less talk to me a whole lot… and today’s the last day I’m going to see him in… who knows how long with your hectic schedules! He wouldn’t even let me go shopping with him.”
“Well, he said he didn’t want you to get bored while he picked out some stuff for his parents,” Heather mentioned.
“No, I think he meant that he didn’t want to be bored with me around. I think he’s gotten sick of me after all these years,” I said bitterly.
“I’m sure he’s just got a lot on his mind. We’ve been really busy for the last few weeks… they’re talking about going to record another album soon and all this stuff. We’re having trouble with management…” Nick told me.
“Well, its not affecting you, AJ, Howie, or Kevin like this.”
“Brian just takes things more seriously. So he’s got a lot on his mind,” Nick shrugged. “But I know he loves me.”
I was glad that Nick thought so. I just didn’t think Brian did anymore.
Heather and Nick went grocery shopping a little while later.
RRRRIIINNNGGG! RRRIIINNNGGG!
I grabbed the phone. “Hey,” I said, knowing it was Brian.
“Hey… look, there’s a lot of holiday traffic and it took me forever to get to the mall, and I still haven’t found something for Harold, so I don’t want to come all the way back over there and get lunch and have to come all the way back again. So I don’t think I’m going to make it. I’m sorry…”
“That’s okay,” I said, disappointed. But I wasn’t very surprised.
“But look, I’ll come get you at eight and we’ll go out to eat. Somewhere nice, I promise, alright?”
“Alright.”
“Bye,” he said, and quickly hung up.
I went out to the front porch. That was the last straw. I couldn’t take this anymore. I cared about him… more than he would ever know. Heck, I’d been in love with him since high school. He didn’t even want to talk to me during dinner last night. Brian hadn’t wanted to talk to me much this trip. Our relationship didn’t seem to be very high on his list of priorities. And it was too painful for me. All the long distance… the uncertainty of phone calls and visits…
It would all end at dinner tonight. I needed to break it off. By Christmas, we’d be no more than friends.
If even that.
Chapter 68
Chapter 70
As Time Goes
Frick's Fairytales