Authors Note: WARNING: this chapter contains -serious- teen angst. So much it could be in a soap opera.
11. Alone
It had warmed up a little the next day. Not completely warm, but warm enough for the snow to turn into rain. And it had been raining all day, and into the night. And in the Girardi house, the two Girardi children who were home at the time, were having emotional breakdowns. Well, not breakdowns so much as freaking out. They sat in the dark, the power still being out, living room, starting at the TV.
"I kissed Adam," Joan said, not taking her eyes off of the blank TV.
"Is that bad?" Luke asked.
"No. Yes. I don't know. Maybe?"
"Did it feel like it was bad?"
"No. It felt.. Perfect."
"Then what's the problem?"
"I can't be with Adam, Luke! Been there, done that, screwed that up!"
"Why don't you just try it again?"
"Because I can't Luke! If we get back together, we'll break up again, and I don't think I can stand that again."
"There's no proof that you'll break up again."
"So what, we'll get back together, get married, have 2.5 kids and a mini van?"
"No. I'm just saying you have no way of knowing if you two will break up again."
"We're pathetic aren't we?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, if I talk to Adam, will you talk to Grace?"
"Huh?"
"She broke up with her boyfriend, and those two were pretty serious about each other. There had to be a reason, and I think that reason has blond hair and nerdy glasses."
"Hey!"
"Well geek, do we have a deal? I talk to Adam, you talk to Grace?" Luke sighed.
"Fine."
*
"Uhm, hi Rabbi Polonski.. is Grace here?" Luke asked.
"Yes, she's up in her room, but I should warn you she's in a mood.."
"Isn't she always?"
"Yes, but not that kind of a mood Luke. It's more of the.. depressed kind of mood as opposed to the angry, rude, morose, cynical Grace we all know. But you can still go up." Luke nodded and headed upstairs. He stopped outside of Grace's room and knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again, and was met with Grace telling him to go away, then calling him every name in the book, not only in English, but in Hebrew as well.
"Well.. sounds like the same Grace," Luke said to himself, opening the door. Her TV was on some trash TV talk show, loud music was blaring, the shades were down, the lights were off, and Grace was laying on her bed looking up at the ceiling.
"Hey.."
"What do you want?"
"I want to talk."
"Well I want to be left alone."
"But-"
"What part of 'I want to be left alone' did you not get?"
"Grace-"
"Go!" Taking one last look at Grace, Luke walked out of her room, closing the door behind him.
*
"Hey Adam, how's your hand?"
"It's better. Kinda stings though," Adam said, watching Joan enter his shed.
"I don't believe it. You sliced open your hand last night, and now your back in here, working on the same piece by lantern again."
"Power's still out yo. And it's not the same piece of wire. That one had too much blood on it. And I'm wearing gloves," Adam told her, holding his hands up for her to see.
"That's good. But, uhm, Adam? About that kiss.." Joan started. Adam stopped what he was doing and looked at her. "Could we just.. uhm... forget about it?" Adam's face fell, and he felt like that piece of wire had just been jammed into his heart. "It's just, we just became friends again, and I don't want to ruin that." Adam nodded.
"Yeah, uhm, yeah. Okay. It's.. forgotten.."
"Okay.. So, uhm, I should get going.. I mean, it's getting late and all.."
"Yeah, yeah, so.. I'll see you later?"
"Later.. right..yeah.. later.." Joan said, making her way out of the shed.
11. Alone
It had warmed up a little the next day. Not completely warm, but warm enough for the snow to turn into rain. And it had been raining all day, and into the night. And in the Girardi house, the two Girardi children who were home at the time, were having emotional breakdowns. Well, not breakdowns so much as freaking out. They sat in the dark, the power still being out, living room, starting at the TV.
"I kissed Adam," Joan said, not taking her eyes off of the blank TV.
"Is that bad?" Luke asked.
"No. Yes. I don't know. Maybe?"
"Did it feel like it was bad?"
"No. It felt.. Perfect."
"Then what's the problem?"
"I can't be with Adam, Luke! Been there, done that, screwed that up!"
"Why don't you just try it again?"
"Because I can't Luke! If we get back together, we'll break up again, and I don't think I can stand that again."
"There's no proof that you'll break up again."
"So what, we'll get back together, get married, have 2.5 kids and a mini van?"
"No. I'm just saying you have no way of knowing if you two will break up again."
"We're pathetic aren't we?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, if I talk to Adam, will you talk to Grace?"
"Huh?"
"She broke up with her boyfriend, and those two were pretty serious about each other. There had to be a reason, and I think that reason has blond hair and nerdy glasses."
"Hey!"
"Well geek, do we have a deal? I talk to Adam, you talk to Grace?" Luke sighed.
"Fine."
*
"Uhm, hi Rabbi Polonski.. is Grace here?" Luke asked.
"Yes, she's up in her room, but I should warn you she's in a mood.."
"Isn't she always?"
"Yes, but not that kind of a mood Luke. It's more of the.. depressed kind of mood as opposed to the angry, rude, morose, cynical Grace we all know. But you can still go up." Luke nodded and headed upstairs. He stopped outside of Grace's room and knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again, and was met with Grace telling him to go away, then calling him every name in the book, not only in English, but in Hebrew as well.
"Well.. sounds like the same Grace," Luke said to himself, opening the door. Her TV was on some trash TV talk show, loud music was blaring, the shades were down, the lights were off, and Grace was laying on her bed looking up at the ceiling.
"Hey.."
"What do you want?"
"I want to talk."
"Well I want to be left alone."
"But-"
"What part of 'I want to be left alone' did you not get?"
"Grace-"
"Go!" Taking one last look at Grace, Luke walked out of her room, closing the door behind him.
*
"Hey Adam, how's your hand?"
"It's better. Kinda stings though," Adam said, watching Joan enter his shed.
"I don't believe it. You sliced open your hand last night, and now your back in here, working on the same piece by lantern again."
"Power's still out yo. And it's not the same piece of wire. That one had too much blood on it. And I'm wearing gloves," Adam told her, holding his hands up for her to see.
"That's good. But, uhm, Adam? About that kiss.." Joan started. Adam stopped what he was doing and looked at her. "Could we just.. uhm... forget about it?" Adam's face fell, and he felt like that piece of wire had just been jammed into his heart. "It's just, we just became friends again, and I don't want to ruin that." Adam nodded.
"Yeah, uhm, yeah. Okay. It's.. forgotten.."
"Okay.. So, uhm, I should get going.. I mean, it's getting late and all.."
"Yeah, yeah, so.. I'll see you later?"
"Later.. right..yeah.. later.." Joan said, making her way out of the shed.