Mason Park - Chapter Eight

AN: I changed the story to first person and present tense because it's easier to write that way and I can get this going faster with it like that.

By the time I get back to the apartment it's almost midnight, and I certainly wasn't expecting to find Monica sitting in one of the barca loungers, waiting for me to come home.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her, throwing my jacket, mittens, and knit hat down on the counter.

"I wanted to apologize, for all of us." She says and slowly lifts herself out of the chair. "I know this has to be incredibly hard for you, and I will never know what you're going through. We had no right to yell at you like that, this is your choice, you're a grown man, you can do whatever you want. I'm sorry." Her shoulders are slumped and her voice gives away little emotion, reminding me much of my grandmother after my grandpa died.

I sigh and move toward her and take her hands in my own. "You don't have to apologize for them, they've got their own opinions. You make it sound like I don't care about you guys and I'm just trying to get away. That is totally not the case. It's just so hard to be around you guys and I think it'd be better for everybody if I did get away for a while. I need some room to breathe and New York just isn't doing it for me." I drop her hands and rub her arms. "I would never want to get rid of you guys. You're my family, and I'm stuck with ya."

Monica laughs and closes her eyes as she wraps her arms around me, immediately triggering the memory of all the times we had held each other. Or was it just a dream?

I rest my chin on the top of her head and pull her tight to me, not failing to notice how she fits right into my arms exactly the same way.

"I'm gonna miss you so much." She squeaks and buries her face in my chest when the tears come. I hold back my own and opt for being the shoulder to cry on, rubbing my hand in circles over her back and not bothering with saying 'it's going to be ok' when I have no idea myself.

I don't say anything at all, I just hold her and let her cry, because I don't know what to do.

the next morning...

I wake up early and slowly open my eyes, only to shut them again and roll away from the blinding light seeping in through my useless blinds. I have lots to do today, I have to see the doctor about my headaches, which I haven't gotten one of in a while

I have to go to the post office and give them my new address, I have to stop by my office and ask for a transfer. If they don't give me one, I'm just gonna quit and get the whole package deal, new city, new life, new job. And I have to talk to Treeger and give him my..one day...notice.

Tomorrow's the day, tomorrow's the day I leave, I'm not moving...I'm leaving.

Guilt courses through my head for reasons I can't begin to figure out and I launch myself out of bed, quickly throwing on a pair of jeans that haven't been washed in god knows how long and a plain, rather tight, and faded, red t-shirt.

As I look around the room for my socks and shoes, I notice that tomorrow is the day that I leave, and today I have nothing packed.

I calmly walk over to the closet and open the doors. The floor is piled with clothes, there's a few things dangling on hangers from the warped wooden bar, and the shelf is occupied by about ten empty boxes covered with dust. My mind immediately goes to Monica, at first sight of my unkempt closet, she would freak, but then she would see this as the most precious gift, should I leave this for her?

I decide against it and grab one of the boxes, disregarding the fact that my hands turn a nasty gray when the dust covers them. I wipe my hands on my jeans and begin taking things off of my walls, off the top of my dresser, night stand, shelves, anything that holds items small enough to be placed in the box is cleared off.

An hour and a half later, my room is spotless. There's nothing but nails in the walls, nothing but dust in the closet, and nothing but...nothing..in the dresser. Mission Accomplished.

I slap my hands together to get the dust off, only to watch it fall on the clothes that I just spent half an hour folding neatly so Monica wouldn't spaz if she saw them.

I shake my head at my stupidity and walk out of my room, grab my keys, throw on my jacket, stuff the mittens and hat in my pockets, and don't bother writing a note. Monica said it last night, I'm a grown man, they can worry if they want to.

to be continued...

Sorry for the super short chapter but I wanted to give you guys something since it's been so incredibly long and I didn't want to give away everything that I started re-writing. I really wanted to update yesterday and have it be a one year anniversary thing (I have officially been a member and posting stories for a year and one day!), but my brother was on the computer the whole day and then I went to my friends house for a Halloween party and didn't get home until too late to be out on a Sunday night with school the next day.

So I hope this chapter is enough for you guys so you won't maul me for more. I haven't had much time to write, but I'll try to do it more and hopefully I'll have an update up within two weeks! Remember, reviews always help to motivate me! Please review!

BTW - Does anybody own an ipod?