SALLY'S POV
"I had to." Linus finishes his sentence completely destroyed. I was at a loss for words. "T-they kicked you out?" Was all I could put together. Why would some snobby New York school kick out the smartest most amazing boy I knew? "No..." I uttered. Linus looked terrible, his mood plummeted. I felt terrible for even mentioning it.
"I- I'm really sorry I lied to you Sally, it was really hard for me." Linus dug his hands into his hands. I ran over to sit next to him and give him a tight hug. "Sally I'm such a failure! I thought that I'd fit in inside that new school but I don't! I'm not as smart as you guys think I am." Once Linus removed his hands from his face I noticed a small tear fall down his eye. His eyes were shining, not because they were pretty. Well that too, but mainly because he was holding back tears. "You are the smartest guy I know! Do you know how lucky everyone here is to have you? You'll never be a failure. You are so so so smart and if that dumb school with those dumb teachers couldn't see that then they are even more dumb than I thought they were!" I thought Linus would feel better but somehow what I said really fueled him. "The only reason I thought I was smart enough was because you guys are dumb." Linus grumbled
I stand up letting go of him crossing my arms no even trying to hide my disgusted expression. "Excuse me!?" Linus wasn't done. "I meant everything I said. I thought I was smart because you guys made me look smart when I was merely average! They aren't the dumbs ones you are! You just can't see that because you guys think so highly of yourselves. You cant even do your own homework! Now I'm trapped in this lowlife town full of dumbasses and disappointments! And now I'm one of them." What the fuck!? That's not the Linus I knew. What happened to this guy?
"You certainly are disappointing me right now, you aren't the guy I fell in love with all of those years ago. And maybe I am dumb, but someone at least average should be smart enough to know how to keep a girlfriend, and you are clearly not!" Linus looked up at me with a terrible look on his face, either mad or guilty I couldn't really tell. He opened his mouth to say something but I wanted absolutely none of it. I ran out of the house. I could hear Lucy holler my name as I rush out the door and Linus chase me to the front door. I don't even think to look back. Why would he say those things? Did he mean it? Did he really think I was that stupid?
I honestly had no idea where I was going. I don't really have anywhere to stay. But there's one guy who I can I always rely on. Maybe not to stay the night but good enough to stay until sunset. I ring the doorbell attached to a humble little home slightly secluded behind a few large trees. Schroeder answers the door. That was exactly who I was looking for. "Uh could I just hang out here for a bit?" Sure let's me in without saying a word. He looked kind of confused and he had every right. He starts playing and I take a seat on the couch by the piano.
It had been around an hour of me listening to him play in complete silence. Schroeder then breaks it being slightly curious of why I was even here. "So? What happened?" Schroeder asks without missing a single note or even looking at me.
I could feel a tear fall down my face, I honestly didn't really know why I was crying. I can't even describe how I'm feeling right now. I sniffle a bit. "I think I just broke up with Linus." I mumble. Now I'm definitely crying. It was either because I was mad at him or myself. Can it be both?
For a change Schroeder doesn't carry on with playing. He misses a note and looks at me completely shocked. "You guys were dating!? You broke u- What!?!?" Ok I probably should have mentioned that. "Uh yeah. We started dating like 4 hours ago?" Schroeder let out a small laugh. I furrowed my eyebrows further giving him a stern look. He holds his hands up declaring his innocence, I roll my eyes.
"Your telling me, you couldn't keep a boyfriend for 24 hours?" Schroeder smiles trying not to laugh. I scoff. "It wasn't me!! It's not my fault he was being all cranky about getting kicked out of that dumb school. He yelled at me! It's his fault!" Schroeder had a worried expression on his face. "Getting kicked out of that school has been eating him alive these past few days."
"So he lets it out on me!?" I raise my voice at him. I was so mad! How could he? And why did Schroeder only care about Linus right now. I was clearly heartbroken!? "It's not that simple Sally. That school was very important." Why does everyone keep saying that? "Then why did you leave?" Schroeder sighed. Gee, this school was really taking a toll on these guys. "I couldn't do it. I practically had straight Cs, and there was something much more important back in Minnesota." Doesn't this guy have anything else to talk about!? Lucy this Lucy that. You got the girl! Now please just listen!
Schroeder could tell I was getting annoyed, and to be fair I wasn't really putting in much effort to hide it. "Uh anyway, Linus is really going through it. And at this point his self esteem is on the floor, I'm sure it's not personal. I can tell he loves you." That definitely made me feel better. But I just can't let go of what Linus said. Only a second or two passes until the door flies open.
My eyes immediately go to the door. "Schroeder have you- Oh my gosh! Sally you're hear thank goodness! Linus is so so so worried and I tried to talk him out of it but he left with a pack of cigarettes and-"
"Tell him I want nothing to- Cigarettes!?" I practically scream the word to the entire world running right to Lucy shaking her shoulders. "Where did he go?! Tell me!" The tears come streaming down all over again as I desperately ask Lucy the same question over and over again like a fool. Smoking? Why was he smoking? No no no no no no!
"I don't know?! I thought if I'd find you it would help- or maybe you know?" I run right past her not stopping at all. I had no idea where I was going, again. I run through several blocks and multiple neighborhoods without taking a single stop. It wasn't hardest thing ever since I've always had good stamina and have been winning trophies on my cross country team since Linus left.
I was so tired yet didn't even consider slowing down. I had been running around for about an hour without seeing Linus once.
Quick Author's Note, I do not
condone smoking, vaping or drugs in any way shape or form. Please do not take up these habits!
To my luck I see Linus in a little creek surrounded by trees and bushes. He was letting out harsh coughs before vomiting into an empty pack of cigarettes. My heart shattered into more pieces than it was already in. I run even faster than before. I take a sharp stop right behind Linus panting like a golden retriever who had been playing fetch the entire day. Linus turns around almost instantly to see me with my hands on my knee's completely exhausted.
"Sally! Thank the lord your here I looked everywhere trying to find you in the area and- My god Sally take a seat for goodness sake!" I comply taking a seat right next to him as he drops a cigarette. I take a closer look at him. It had only been around an hour since I last saw him. He was a wreck. His eyes were red and kind of puffy as if he was crying, his hair worn out rather than slicked back as it normally is, he looked sick in a way, twitching too.
Ever since I started running I hadn't stopped crying. You could definitely tell. "What's going on Sally?" Is he stupid? What does he think is happening!?
"What do you mean what's going on!? Look at you! You finished an entire pack of cigarettes in the span of 2 hour! Why are you doing this Linus? Is it me? Was it what I said!? Linus I'm so sorry! I was so mad that I didn't even think about what was going on in your life. Schroeder was right! I couldn't even keep a partner for a day! I was a terrible girlfriend to you!!" At this point I hysterically crying. A very very ugly cry. My eyes were blurry with all of the tears falling down my face. I could just barely notice a small tear stream down Linus's face.
He turns and pulls me into his arms, wiping away every tear left on my face one by one. He smiles pulling me closer. "You were the perfect girlfriend in every way. You were everything you needed to be. None of this was because of you. You were exactly what I needed." I look back at him skeptical. Sure, I was happy to hear that but something was missing, some answers specifically. "So we are just fine now? After all I- and you were-"
"I was high." Ok. Plot twist much. "Huh? You were what!?" I heard everything he said in clear detail but that felt like a billion punches to the gut. I couldn't comprehend it. Linus laughs, which is very inappropriate for this kind of conversation! "Don't laugh! I'm worried about you Linus! Like really worried." A frown lands on my face, which was practically impossible to make before because I was so exhausted. I really did care for Linus. What he said was wrong, sure. But he only did that because he was on drugs. And doing that was wrong, sure. But I can still see the little boy I fell in love with all those years ago deep down inside him crying for help. So help me I will do everything to get that Linus back, to make him ok again. "It's been a hard week. The scholarship I got for North Shore High was very thorough and I couldn't follow it. It was no one's fault but mine, but it still hurts." Those. Those exact words, were the ones that I new were going to eventually come but I still wasn't ready for.
"W-was that when you started-" I gulped, just saying it tore me apart. "No, it was a month or two before. Apparently scholarship schools in New York cause a lot of stress." He chuckled, my frown deepened. I was holding back tears, again. "Linus that's terrible, does anyone know?" Linus let out a sigh, you could see the guilt and disappointment in his eyes. "Schroeder suspected something was up, but besides that just you." While it feels good to be the one he trusts the most, it stings no one even considered it, and therefore can't help him. "I promise you Linus. I will get through this with you. No one deserves to live this way, especially you. You are my everything, and I will do everything to make you feel better and get out of this." What I said really seemed warm Linus' heart. He kisses the top of my head. "I'm glad your here Sally." He sounds so sincere, I wouldn't have wanted any less.
"Cmon Linus! They're looking for us." I elbow him a little and give him a grin. He complies standing up and helping me up. He looks at me. "You know how to get back right?" I shake my head. Welp, we're fucked.
After many wrong turns we arrive at the same creek we left. I look at the sky, the sun was already gone with the moon shining bright. It was late at night. I let out a yawn giving Linus a worried expression. "Well now what do we do? It's been hours! And I'm getting tired, I don't think I can keep walking." Linus gives me a very familiar smile, he gives me that smile whenever he has a stupid idea, like making out in a dusty hallway or dancing in the rain. He walks over to some large tree. "We can stay the night?" Oh god. "Linus I've literally never slept anywhere besides my big brother's house and Frieda's condo." "There's a first for everything Sally." I give in following him to the tree and cuddle up against him.
"I love you Sally Brown" was the last thing I heard him say until I fell asleep.