Adore You | ✔

Chapter 65

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Chapter 65

It was Thanksgiving break, so we only had two days of school this week. On Tuesday, Lana took me out of my classes to work on the winter ball. I was relieved.

I did not want to sit next to Robbie in chemistry. The few minutes I was there, I could feel him looking at me the whole time. When the office aid came in to pull me out, I almost jumped out of my seat, desperate to leave.

After school, we had practice—just easy mile repeats. It was cold, and there was a light drizzle. I could feel pain in my leg even before the run. Stiff and sore. I did too much the day I ran to the park. It was too much too soon. Halfway through practice, I was limping while I ran. I tried to hide it as best I could.

"Gomez, take a seat," Coach said, and I groaned in frustration. This was getting dangerous with my scholarship. The conditions were that I ran every race. I felt a ripple of anxiety in my chest.

On Wednesday I went to pick up my family from the airport. 

They came up to spend the holiday since my dad could not get more than an evening off. I had no idea how we were going to fit in our apartment, but Nicole's cousin lent me an inflatable mattress for the twins and was shoved in my room in a way that it leaned unevenly against the side of my bed.

It's okay, they're nine, they can sleep on rocks and be fine the next day, my dad said.

Nicole was coming up as well. After bonding with her cousins over summer break, they managed to convince her mom to come up for a few days.

Thanksgiving was like most holidays with my family. Tense and tiring. My father was drunk before dinner, my mother in a sour mood, and my brothers were a handful. After dinner, I helped my mom pick up the plates and do the dishes.

Then went to my room to do my homework.

It's hard to understand how quickly things change at times. I was in my room on my bed reading a book for English. My brothers Jaime and Leo on the mattress huddled over a small video game screen.

"You have got to be kidding me," My mother yelled. I looked up from my book my brother's heads whipped up to look at me.

This was typical.

"Put the volume up on your game," I ordered, pointing to the Nintendo they were playing on. I went and closed the door to my room. Leo pressed the volume button up as high as it can go.

"It's annoying," Jaime said. I could tell he was going to become petulant. He always became petulant when my parents argued.

"It's either that or I put on music, and you hate my music," I threatened.

He frowned and took a moment to consider his options. "Fine." He said, and I sat down on my bed to try to get some reading done with Mario's 8bit soundtrack in the background.

"Lia," Leo asked, he always the calmer one, "Are mom and dad going to get a divorce?"

"No. Why are you asking me that?"

"Because that's what mom told grandma." I felt my chest constrict. This was not new. My parents always fought, and sometimes I wished they would get a divorce.

"Why are you guys listening to their conversation? I told you that was rude."He shrugged. I could see the fear in his eyes. Once upon a time, when I was nine, I felt that same fear. At that age, it was unthinkable that my parents get a divorce. There weren't many truths in my life. My parent's marriage was an anchor that I refused to let go of.