Missed Me, Missed Me, Now You Gotta Kiss Me

A Starry Night

   I so could have gone riding today. It was a beautiful Thursday morning; a perfect day to go riding. I even started to get dressed for it. Old T-shirt, jeans, tying up my hair with a baseball cap on. It wasn’t until I was slipping on my boots, the boots Liam had given me, that I realized I couldn’t go riding. Besides, that old white Ford was parked by the lover trees.

  I stomped downstairs, my life ruined.

  Mom stood at the stove, scrambling eggs when I stormed in, slumping loudly into a chair. Without turning, she asked, “What’s wrong, Piper?”

  Even with her dark hair piled sloppily atop her head, black robe and slippers on, no makeup, and pregnant, my mother managed to look better than me; who was a dressed, highly desirable—I’m going off two boys, here!—seventeen year old.

  I let my cheek drop in my hand miserably. “Mom, how come you never let Liam have the day off?” I asked, choosing my words very carefully.

  She shrugged. “He chooses not to. We try to give him half the week off, let you do most the work, but he won’t.”

  That little shit! I felt like screaming. He just stayed here to irritate me! He knew I wouldn’t step foot in that barn unless he was gone. Oh, boy, was I gonna…..

  My mom broke my thoughts, asking the enevitable question. “Honey, what’s going on with you and Liam, hmm? You two seemed to be getting along so well, and now…..Well. I just don’t see you two together so much anymore.”

  Try not at all, I thought bitterly.

  Mom turned, looking at me. “Did something happen when Dad and I were away….?”

  I looked up at her, my eyes wide. I didn’t have a very good poker face when it came to my mom; she always asked the questions no one else dared to.

  I shook my head. “No. We’re just not friends anymore, is all.”

  Mom turned off her burner, dishing up two plates full of eggs. She set one in front of me and sat at the head of the table, next to me. “Anything you want to talk about?”

  God, I hope she doesn’t think we had sex or anything like that, I thought, blushing at the thought. A horrible image came to mind and I pushed it completely out of my mind, completely grossed out.

  “No, not really.” I was talked out. While I wanted to tell her everything, I just kept my mouth shut. What was the point? It was over now.

  My heart broke a little inside every time I thought of it being “over”; the friendship Liam had wanted more out of.

  My mom shrugged, eating her eggs. “Okay, honey. I trust you.”

  The ultimate guilt trip. Ugh. I stared at my eggs. And stared. “Hey, Mom….what’s this gray stuff in your eggs?”

  “Anchovies,” she answered; like every parent put chopped up anchovies in their child’s scrambled eggs.

  I shoved the plate away. “Eww! Mom!”

  “What?”

  “You hate fish!”

  “Not since last night,” my dad mumbled, shuffling into the kitchen, looking half asleep. “She was eating them out of the can all night.”

  “Oh my God,” I muttered. “Mom, that’s disgusting.”

  She had this pleased look on her face. “They were good, though.”

  “Okay, Mom. Just don’t taint my food.”

  “Honey, when have you ever even tried an anchovie?”