I woke up the next morning reveling in the comfort of having her arm hanging over my waist and feeling the warmth of her sleeping beside me. What a night. Partying until I felt as if my feet had been broken and then having the most romantic night I think I've ever had. That was the only romantic night I'd had...
My experiences with guys weren't exactly what you'd call great ones. I had gone on a few dates and they usually ended up with the guy trying to get into my pants...then a broken nose and a few bruises. Oh him, of course. To win a women's heart, you had to be polite and respect her boundaries. The only boudaries these guys wanted anything to do with were below my waist. And I wasn't settling for that. So I gave up on dating. Until I developed feelings for none other than the beauty sleeping next to me. And today...was our one month anniversary. A perfect way to wake up to it, I might add. Especially because my mother had been out all night. Either that or she was too drunk to check on me when she got back.
I felt Aeris start to wake up. Her arm slowly slid across me as she prepared to sit up. I whined and pretended I was still asleep, my eyes open enough to see her smile and lean over me. When she got close enough, my eyes shot open and I gave her a surprise kiss. She gasped.
"You scared me, I thought you were still sleeping!" she said, pushing me back down playfully.
"Got ya. Guess what today is? Guess, guess, guess..."
"How could I forget? I don't need to guess. I thought about it all night. In my dreams. I couldn't escape it and I didn't want to, either," she answered. I smiled then stretched out my relaxed muscles from a wonderful rest last night. We both got up and groomed ourselves, as if we would be leaving the house soon. I didn't plan to. I stayed in my pajamas but made sure I didn't look like a total wreck.
Kadaj and Reno were cuddled together on the couch with a box of Fruit Loops, watching T.V and eating them like cartoon-obsessed five-year-olds. Kadaj's sleeves were way long and hid his hands, making him look more childish than he did normally. But in a cute way. Really. They were so engaged in what they were watching that they didn't even look up to say good morning. I didn't blame them. I had the ability to really get into television at times. It was...strange.
"I'm surprised you guys are up this early," I said, breaking the silence.
"Likewise," Reno replied, grabbing a handful of Fruit Loops and shoving them in his mouth. Reno...he really had split personalities. One minute, he would be spending hours in the bathroom, making sure there wasn't one little flaw in the way he looked. The next minute he could be stuffing his face with junk food and snacks, making himself look like a complete slob. But, it was in the privacy of the house so it didn't matter. Kadaj didn't seem to mind. But then again, he'd seen what was underneath his clothing so he didn't need to worry. Atleast not until Reno gained some pounds.
"Any plans today? You guys should get out of the house. We were out most of the night last night and you two are here all day. Go out. Have fun,"
"Is there a reason you're trying to kick us out?"
"I'm not trying to kick you out. I am kicking you out. Now, go get dressed and have some fun. It's our turn to have the house to ourselves. Now go,"
"Say the magic words, sister..." he said teasingly.
"NOW,RENO," he raised his eyebrow and stood there. "...please," I finally forced out. He grinned.
"Have fun. We'll be out all day." The boys vanished upstairs to change.
Once they were out the door, I called my mom to see exactly where she was. Her bedroom door was open and she wasn't in there. I could probably guess easily that she was with her boyfriend. But...I didn't know if it was the same guy she'd been seeing for the past few weeks. I'll admit, my mom was doing better in terms of dealing with me. In other words, letting me do things for myself. But...she was a total whore. I'm sorry. I really think she needs to find a guy and stick with him. Who wouldn't think that? I missed having a father. I missed my father. I shook my head, forcing the painful thoughts from my mind, as I'd done whenever the subject of my dad came up. I'd refused to think about it.
"Hello? Mom, where are you?"
"I'm at work, hon. Is there something wrong?"
"What, no hang-over? No crashing at your boyfriend's house?"
"No, no. We just went out to dinner and I got back around eleven. I came to check on you but your door was locked so...is there something wrong? Do you need me to pick up anything from the store?"
"No,mom. I was just checking on you...ok,well. I'll see you when you get home,"
"Okay, hon. And Tifa," she said right before I hung up. "I love you."
"I..love you,too, mom."
I hung up the phone in a manner that suggested I had just gotten a phone call from a complete psycho breathing menacingly into the phone.
"Is everything okay?" asked Aeris.
"It's fine." I replied, still looking a little weirded-out.
"Good," she smiled. Just then, the phone rang. It was Aeris' mom. She told her that she wanted her home and that she could come back that night for a while. She said that she missed her being home lately. She agreed but after getting off the phone, she whined about feeling horrible that she had to leave on our anniversary. I understood, after all, the days we'd spent together lately had been a good anniversary. Her mom wanted her home. That was a good enough reason to let her go.
"I'll come by for a little while this evening," she said. I agreed and willingly accepted her good-bye kiss before she was out the door.
What to do? Kadaj and Reno were gone. Aeris was gone. My mom wasn't here, meaning no one to annoy. Wow...let's see. I could definetly see if Yuffie and the others were available this afternoon but I was feeling...very tired...too tired to even think of walking out the door and doing anything that required walking for more than five minutes. Before I knew it, I was carelessly sprawled on the couch, sleeping like a baby.
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Mommy stop it! Stop it!!!
I attempted miserably to stop the growing anger and tension between my parents. But what could I do? I was a little girl. But I was their daughter, they were supposed to listen to me. Right?
The last thing I remember of my dad was him kneeling down and looking me in the eyes, telling me he loved me and that nothing would ever change that. Meanwhile my mother was in the background throwing a tantrum and screaming things at him that were never meant for a girl my age to hear at the time. He kissed my forehead and hugged me tightly before grabbing his coat and leaving. That was the last time I ever saw him.
My father had died the next morning after getting into a fatal car crash the night he left. I remember in the hospital, I never said a word. And whenever anyone spoke to me, I looked at them with tears in my eyes, not answering any of them. In my mind, I was screaming for my dad back. I didn't understand why he left me. After that day, I refused to ever get close to any man that my mom brought into the picture. I still do and I always would. There was no changing that.
I love you, Dad...
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I woke up to the sight of Aeris sitting at the end of the couch.
"H-hey...when'd you get here? Why didn't you wake me up?" I asked.
"I've only been here for a few minutes. And you looked so peaceful. I couldn't wake you..." she answered sweetly. I sat up and moved toward her, my muscles aching from the awkward sleeping position I had layed in for so many hours. My eyes were still adjusting to the light in the living room. I smelled food. Then I heard my mom ask if I was hungry.
"Yeah...I'm starving," I answered. I hadn't eaten anything all day.
After the wave of flashbacks I had while I was asleep, I was mad at my mom. It had been years since my father died but that didn't matter. She didn't kill him, but if she hadn't compelled him to leave, he wouldn't have gotten into the crash in the first place. I shook my head, dissolving any further thoughts on the situation. For now, I'd just keep calm and try to stay peaceful with her for once. I knew she intended to do better than she had been. But still...
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Aeris decided to stay for dinner and then return home. At least it would allow her and my mom to talk to eachother. Hopefully peacefully.
"How is school going for you guys? Any slipping grades I need to know about, Tifa?"
"I'm doing fine in school mom, like always..."
"And what about you Aeris? How is school for you?"
"Well, everyday is a struggle but I manage...grades are okay,though..."
It seemed very awkward at this point. I had no idea why my mom was bringing school up. As if we actually wanted to talk about it. There was silence for a few seconds before my mom spoke again.
"I've noticed how great of friends you are. Tifa's very lucky. I grew up having no friends, and when a friend came around, they weren't always the greatest person to hang out with. Be glad you have eachother," Aeris and I looked at eachother nervously and blushed. Was she catching on? I hoped not.
We finished up with dinner and I decided to walk her back down to her house. I needed some fresh air.
"Your mom seems...nice,Tifa."
"I never said she couldn't be. I just said...most of the time, she's a bitch..." I replied. I knew when I got home I'd be getting completely bambarded with questions about my sexuality from my mother. She had to be suspecting something by now. I should've been more careful. But it's not exactly easy. I love her and I need her in my life. It's that simple, but it's so complicated. I have no idea as to how her mom will react to the situation. I knew she was more strict than my mother. That wasn't a good sign.
We had reached her house and alas, I had to let her go.
"I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"
"Yeah. I'll see ya...love you."
"I love you,too." she hugged me and walked inside. I saw her mom looking out the window at us. I turned nervously and began to walk away when I heard her mother scolding her. She was telling her that she wanted her home and she wasn't allowed to go out as much as she had been. I felt extremely guilty, it was my fault she was getting yelled at. I inhaled sharply and ran back home.
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