He followed her, “You got sick because you’re upset that I’m leaving tonight. Babe, if I wait till tomorrow… it’ll just be worse. You’ll go through this all over again, and I can’t take it. It’s killing me,” he said.
She didn’t say anything, she couldn’t. She just sat there eating her toast when Cris came home, “Hey Bro, I thought you were gonna wait for me at the school till I got back?”
“Yeah I was, but a change of plans. I waited here instead. I didn’t want a lot of people around saying goodbye so I picked Lia up and brought her back here,” Seth said.
“Hey what’s up? You look real worried, Seth,” Cris questioned.
“Nothing’s up. Lia’s upset that I’m going and I didn’t want to leave her here alone. I’ll hang out here for a little.”
“I’m fine Seth,” Lia replied. “Let’s go back in the living room.”
She got up and swayed a little. Seth reached out his hand to steady her. He shot Cris a look to keep quiet. He walked with her back to the couch and sat down and made Lia lay back down.
Cris followed them wanting to know what was going on, but didn’t ask. Maybe Lia would tell him once they were in the living room. She was quite and didn’t talk; soon she was asleep on Seth. He laid her down on the couch as he got up. He motioned for Cris to follow him.
He went out the front door with Cris close on his heels, “What the heck is going on with her? Is she sick again?”
“What do you mean again?” Seth roared.
“She was sick yesterday when we were up in New York. I just thought it was because of all the anxiety of you moving. Do you think it’s something more?” Cris said.
“No I don’t, I think that’s exactly what it is. She started crying uncontrollably when we got here. I had to carry her up to the house. When we got inside she ran for the bathroom. She said she didn’t eat much today and that’s why she got sick, but I think she just has herself so worked up. Don’t tell her I told you any of this, she doesn’t want your Dad to know.”
“I’m not saying anything. I know she didn’t eat much yesterday, and she didn’t today either. Not like she normally does.”
“Cris do me a huge favor, watch out for her more than you normally do and let me know if it gets worse. I’ll do something to change it.”
“What can you do?” Cris asked.
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure something out. I’m gonna go in and say goodbye. She wants me to wait till tomorrow, but it’ll just be the same as tonight.”
“Why wake her up?” Cris said.
“Because she’ll hate me, if I leave without saying goodbye. I can’t put her through anymore.”
Seth walked over to the couch and nudged Lia a little bit. She didn’t wake up. He picked her up and carried her up the stairs to her room. He laid her on the bed, lying next to her, he whispered, “Lia wake up, I have to go. I don’t want you mad at me if I don’t say bye. Please Lia I have to get out of your room before your parents come home.”
She opened her eyes and looked at him with tears in her eyes, “You’re really going tonight.”
“Yeah I have too. I promise I’ll call the minute I get there. I want to make sure your ok,” he said.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, “I love you, Babe. Don’t forget about me.”
“I’ll never forget you. I love you, too,” he said. “I have to go now, your parents should have been home already and I’ll get killed being in your room.”
“Okay, call me on the way up there. Keep me sane, by talking to me,” Lia said.
“Depends on traffic, if it’s busy I won’t call till I get there,” Seth said.
Getting up from the bed he stood there looking at her for a few minutes. She was laying there with her eyes closed; she didn’t want to see him walk out the door. He turned and left, he walked right out the door. He didn’t say goodbye to Cris, he just left.
She was ok till she heard his car start and then the tears started. She heard him pull away and drive down the street. It was when she couldn’t hear his car anymore that she broke out in body shaking sobs. The tears poured out of her eyes and ran rivers down her cheeks. Within minutes her pillow that she was crying into was soaking wet.
Cris came to her room, but didn’t know what to do for her. He held her for a while as she cried. “Lia you have to stop, you’re gonna make yourself sick again, like yesterday. You’re not doing yourself any good and your killing Seth. How are you going to talk to him tonight if you’re crying like this?”
“I can’t help it. I can’t stop,” she cried more. “Don’t tell him I’m like this. I’ll get I under control really I will, just give a few moments.”
Taking some deep breaths she was able to get some control over her crying, she didn’t stop, but got it to where it was just tears sliding down her face slowly.
Cris looked relieved that she got herself under control, “How do you feel? Do you feel sick?” he asked.
“No actually hungry didn’t eat yesterday or today. I’ll go down and get something then,” she replied not wanting Cris to know how sick to the stomach she really felt, but if she kept this up he’ll tell Seth and make him feel worse.
“Did you want me to get you something?” he asked.
“No I’ll get it later. Go have fun with Steph tonight it’s still early,” she suggested.
“I don’t want to leave you here alone,” he said.
“Don’t worry about me I’ll just get something to eat and wait for him to call me,” Lia said.
“I’ll go pick up Steph and hang out here tonight.”
“No I don’t want you to. I’ll be fine, really I will. It’ll just be an adjustment, but I’ll be fine,” Lia told him.
Chapter 19
When Seth got to New York he planned on calling Lia right away, but his Dad jumped all over him the minute he came in the door. “How dare you not help us today! Who do you think you are?!”
“First off I told you yesterday I wouldn’t help you, not after what you did to Lia. You had her so upset she was throwing up because of it! Don’t think I’ll be there for you ever again! Do you honestly think that a few years of sobriety, compared too many years of you being drunk, not being there for us, abusing us in so many ways, would change the way I feel about you deep down. Well it doesn’t! I’m here only because I’m under eighteen, but remember this! I turn eighteen next month so I might not be here after that! There’s no way you can hold me here!”
“Yeah and where do think you’re going to stay. Not at their house, her father won’t let you!”
“Where the hell do you think I was last night?! I don’t need to stay there anyway I have other offers and one is a pretty good deal! Just stay away from me, stay away from Lia, and there won’t be any problems. I find out you say anything to Lia, her parents, any of them, you will have lost a son for good!” Seth yelled.
“Seth!” Mrs. Rossetti yelled.
“Not now Mom,” Seth grumbled.
“I just wanted to know how Lia was,” she said softly.
“What do you think? She’s a mess. She cried so hard tonight she ended up throwing up again. Cris told me she did that yesterday here.”
“I’m so sorry, Seth.”
“Well Mom I’m here for a month, after that who knows. Mr. Grayson said I could stay there during college, but I think he’ll let me if I want to go back early. I just have to see how things turn out,” he said going into his room and slamming his door not waiting for her response.
~~*~~
It was after midnight and he didn’t know if he should call Lia or not. He wanted to talk to her, but didn’t want to wake her if she was sleeping. He made up his mind he’d call and let it ring only a few times and if she didn’t answer at least she’d see he tried. He dialed her number and it was answered with in half a ring.
“Hello, Babe,” she said “I was beginning t
o think you weren’t going to call me.”
“I almost didn’t with it being so late, but I figured you’d want to skin me alive if I didn’t. I didn’t want to wake you up..”
“You didn’t.”
“I figured that much when you answered within half a ring,” he laughed.
“I was just getting ready to call you. What took so long?” she asked.
“I was fighting with my Dad. If things don’t change I’m out of here in a month,” Seth said and told her about the fight.
“You didn’t have to say anything to him about me. I don’t want to come between the two of you. He’s your Dad, Seth.”
“Yeah, just like I told you that about your Dad. I thought you of all people, would understand,” he replied heatedly.
“Oh I do. I just don’t want to be the cause of it. You do what you have to Seth I’ll stand beside you no matter what.”
“I know and I don’t want to take my bad mood out on you. Maybe I should just hang up and call you tomorrow,” he said deflated.
“Nope, we’ll talk about something else. So when does your school start? The same time as us here?” she questioned.
“Yeah I guess. Don’t know if I can drive there or not. On Monday I’ll find out, since my mommy has to take me in to register. That’s gonna be so embarrassing walking thru the halls with my Mom,” he stated.
“Yeah it will be” she laughed. “Go in late after everyone else is in class.”
“Good idea, I think that’s what we’ll do. My Mom won’t be happy about it, but oh well.”
“It’ll be strange, but at least everyone won’t see you,” she laughed.
“So glad you’re getting enjoyment out of this,” he said.
“Sorry, but the thought of it, is funny, come on it’d be the same if it was done at our school and you know it,” Lia said.
They talked for a long while and Lia started to fall asleep on the phone. “Babe your falling asleep I’m gonna hang up now I’ll call you tomorrow,” Seth said.
“Ok I love you, good night,” Lia said.
“I love you too.”
~~*~~
Sunday was a boring day for Lia she didn’t start her new job out at the mall until Wednesday. She got a job at the Gap. They would work around her cheerleading schedule, but she planned on working as much as she could, one to keep her mind off Seth being gone and two to save as much money as she could.
Seth called her in the morning to say good morning and to let her know he was going to be busy today getting his room unpacked and then go around the city with his Mom. He said he’d call her later.
She took her shower after she talked to him and was sitting in the kitchen when Cris came down.
“How’s it going?” he asked. “Did you talk to him?”
“Yeah last night and this morning, he’s unpacking is room and then his Mom wants to explore New York a little and asked him to go with her. He said he’d call me later. So what are you doing today?”
“Don’t know? There’s nothing to do really. Probably just go hang out with Steph for a while. What are you doing?” Cris asked.
“Nothing, maybe call Tasha see what she’s doing.” Lia said.
She ended up not doing anything, but sitting at home waiting for him to call her. She did get a few texts from him with pictures of New York, which made her feel good, at least he was thinking of her. One picture was of a group of homeless people just sitting in the park with all their worldly possessions, another one was of the sky line from the roof of his apartment at sunset.
He didn’t get to call her that night, but he did text her. His texted read, ‘Sorry, Babe won’t be able to call you tonight stuck at some stupid function for my Dad’s work, don’t know when I’ll be home. Don’t want to be here. Love you.’
She went to bed depressed, cried a little before falling asleep exhausted.
~~*~~
Monday morning she woke to her phone ringing, “Hello,” she said groggily.
“Hi Babe, sorry I couldn’t call you last night. I swear my Dad did that on purpose so I couldn’t call you. My Mom backed me into a corner to go. You know how she doesn’t do well with crowds. I missed talking to you last night. So what did you end up doing yesterday?”
“Nothing just stayed home, watched TV. Those pictures you sent me were great. I especially like the one from the roof, what a pretty sunset. So did you talk to your Mom about going in to your new school later?”
“Yeah she didn’t go for it, but she did concede into going in early before everyone gets there. So as long as we can get in early it won’t be too bad,” he said. “I’ll call you the minute I get out of school.”
“Ok I’ll talk to you then,” she said getting ready to hang up.
“Hey! Wait a minute!” Seth yelled. “Aren’t you going to say you love me?”
“I love you Seth. Talk to you after school,” she said. Dread was starting to fill in her heart, something was wrong, but she didn’t know what it was.
~~*~~
After school she waited fifteen minutes for him to call and he didn’t. She called him to see what happened, but no answer. She waited another half an hour and called again still no answer. Depressed she went to her room laid on the bed and fell asleep.
An hour later her phone was ringing; she picked it up and said, “Hello?”
“Lia? You alright?” Seth asked.
“Yeah just woke up form a nap. I was depressed that I couldn’t talk to you and came up here and fell asleep I guess.”
“I went to the football practice and it was longer that I thought, in fact I’m still at the school. I’m leaving now. It seems like they have a good coach and a good team here. I won’t get to start this weekend, probably won’t get to play at all, but it’s alright. Maybe you and Cris can come up here on Saturday to see me? Your game’s on Friday right?”
“Yeah it’s Friday. I’ll have to see if Cris will take me up there. I’m glad you’re starting football up there.”
She hesitated not sure if she should say anything. She decided to say something. “Seth I keep having this feeling of dread, like something going to happen. I don’t know what it is, but it won’t leave me. It’s started yesterday and it keeps getting stronger,” Lia stated.
“Don’t worry, nothing is gonna happen, Lia. Don’t ruin this for me. I didn’t think I would like the school or want to play football, but I do.”
“I don’t want to ruin anything for you! I’m glad you want to play football there. I’m the one encouraging you to do it! I can’t believe you would say that to me! If you honestly think I want to ruin it for you then maybe we shouldn’t talk anymore! Bye Seth,” she said and hung up.
She threw her phone across the room and burst into tears. Looking down at the ring on her finger she cried even harder. When she stopped she walked to Cris’s room and knocked, “You in there?” she asked.
“Yeah come in. What’s up? Were you yelling at Seth?” he asked.
She nodded her head. “He accused me of trying to ruin his good day I guess. He went to the football practice and really likes the coach and team. He had a really good first day and he wanted us to come up there on Saturday. I told him I would ask you and I was glad he started football up there, but then I told him I had this feeling of dread since yesterday that something was going to happen. I didn’t know what, but something. He got mad and said I was trying to ruin it for him.”
“Ruin it for him how? You were the one telling him to go out for football up there,” Cris stated confused.
“I know, he assumed I was talking about us and something was going to happen between us. I never said that I just said I had a feeling, but didn’t know what it meant or what was going to happen. I lost it, I know I should call him and apologize, but I don’t want to right now.”
“Want me to call him?” Cris offered.
“No, I wanted to know if you would drive m
e up there Saturday, if we make up,” Lia said.
“You’ll make up, he’s probably trying to call you, but if that was your phone hitting the wall I heard, it might be broken,” Cris said.
“Would serve him right not to be able to call me back,” she fumed.
“You don’t mean that and you know it,” Cris said.
“Yeah you’re right. I don’t understand why he would say that to me.”
“He’s going thru a lot right now, same as you. I guess he just found something to make him feel good. He’s probably feeling guilty about it in a way,” Cris said.
“Why would he feel guilty about it? I don’t want him to miserable up there,” Lia stated.
“Did you ever tell him that?” Cris asked cautiously.
“No I didn’t think I had to. Do you think I should?”
“Yeah call him back and tell him,” Cris encouraged. “Don’t make this little minor thing blow up to something huge.”
“Thanks, Cris,” she said running back to her room for her phone.
When she picked it up there were two missed calls from Seth. Before she could dial his number he called again. “Hi Seth, sorry.” she blurted before he could say anything.
“I’m sorry too I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
“It’s ok, I didn’t mean it either. I also didn’t want to ruin your excitement. I’m glad, really glad you’re fitting in there so quickly. I don’t want you to be miserable up there. I just don’t want you to forget me.”
“That won’t happen. So how was school?”
“Lonely without you, but I got thru it. So when are your practices so I don’t call you during that time?”
“Right after school till about 4:30 or 5:00 every day except Fridays, I can call you right after.”
“Seth I think that might be problem after Wednesday I start my new job at the Gap and I work 5:00 till close. Why don’t we not make a set time that way neither of us is disappointed. We’ll just make sure we call before we go to bed.”
“Ok I’ll call you in the mornings too, before school. Let me know about Saturday. It would be real nice to see there.”