A Force Of Gravity✅

35

-Rose-Present

"You can see I'm blind for you
You break the rules and I'm the fool
Who wants you badly, no matter what you do
I still love you madly."
-So Bad by Brandon Colbein

Sitting in the kitchen with my father, Lola and Cooper is awkward. Marissa has managed to excuse herself so she doesn't have to endure this deafening silence. My father sits at one end with a tight frown. Lola sits on the other, trying to make small talk with Cooper.

"I'm considering getting a restraining order for your mother." My father finally says and I frown.

"Don't bother. She will get bored and leave eventually, she's done it before." I reply nonchalantly and place a piece of banana in my mouth.

"How about we go to the seaside tomorrow?" Lola suggests but none of us look thrilled by the offer.

"I'm busy." I grumble in response and both men tell her an excuse too. She looks back down at her lap, sad that she has been rejected and it makes me feel slightly guilty. My father excuses himself from the table and disappears into his office, shutting the door behind him. Lola turns to me.

"Rose, your mother doesn't deserve you. She never did." Lola says softly. The way she says it is so soothing and calm. "But I think you should speak to her for your own piece of mind."

"My father would kill us both if he heard you say that." I truthfully state but she just shrugs. The one thing that I like about her is that she is so blunt and truthful. She doesn't beat things around the bush.

"He doesn't own my mind." She tells me. "How about you and I go on a spa day tomorrow?"

"Lola, I know you're just trying to be nice but don't bother. You can't manipulate me into liking you because you're being nice to me about my mother. Excuse me." I say quickly. Cooper raises his eyebrows in surprise but jumps up as well. Lola looks down at the tablecloth, looking dejected.

Cooper and I step out of the house and go into my car. Immediately, I start it up as I lean back against my seat.

"Did you see Caspian's recent Instagram? I've never seen anything so hot in my life." Cooper mumbles. His eyes are closed and he is sticking his head out the window like a dog.

"No, I haven't managed to look." I tell him, trying to pay attention to driving. I haven't been to school since my mother turned up so honestly, I'm anxious for what awaits me.

"Are you sure you want to go to school?" He asks me seriously, turning his head to look at me. After all these years, he has the same look on his face whenever he is concerned about me.

"Cooper, don't start coddling me too. No one died, I didn't have a break up and I'm still me. I didn't even speak to her." I ramble, half convincing him but half convincing me too.

"We could always grab some doughnuts. Sneak down to the beach or the haunted house or..." he suggests but it only makes me sigh in frustration.

"Cooper, I love you but I'm fine! I'm going to school and I'm going to learn a bunch of useless shit that I will never use in the future."  I tell him confidently and he throws a grin at me.

"That's the spirit." He says enthusiastically and I smile, although I don't feel like it.

********************************************