Me, Myself, and I

a better reunion

His eyes locked into my rear-view mirror. I adjusted it towards my feet.

"You invited him here?" I snapped.

Val unbuckled. "Who?"

I pointed dramatically towards my trunk. She cursed as she caught sight of the thing.

"Typical, so typical. I told you he was clingy. I warned you. But no. You had to date the basketball player. He wasn't even that good anyway. Joey could run laps around him. He was always so jeal—"

"BIGGER ISSUE," I frowned. What was he doing here? "Did he know we were coming?"

"I mean, apparently."

I glanced back, but the seat was empty. He now stood by my passenger window, hands in his pockets. His baseball cap was farther down his forehead than usual, lips pressed deep in his mouth.

I restarted the car, cracking the window open.

"Heard you kissed Ben," he said.

I closed the window.

"YOU KISSED BEN?"

I opened the window.

"What's it to you?" I said.

"So you did kiss him?"

I closed the window.

"YOU KISSED BEN!?" Val repeated.

I pulled out the keys and vacated the vehicle. Head down low, I headed towards the house. Heard my ex and best friend going at it behind me. Or were they yelling at me? Whatever. I could turn around and snap. Or...

"WOULD YOU TWO GIVE IT A REST?" I snapped.

Snap it was.

Valerie frowned. "What is it with you going after my exes?"

"I didn't! Val, I kissed his forehead. I was saying goodbye. Whatever twisted story Kyle is tossing around isn't true."

"Story came from Ben, not Kyle," Alex said.

"Ah, yes, let's go with the word of the amnesiac." I turned around. "Val, can we get this done so I can go home, please? I have some classes to fail."

Then my keys weren't in my hands anymore. Valerie held them high, girl always had way too many inches on me. I didn't jump after them, just stared in bitter disinterest.

"You two are going to talk this out. I am going to go see Ben." She turned on her heel. "I believe you, Julia. But you can understand that I will need a three day notice next time you are going to throw a wrench in my life like this." She left the door open behind her, speaking over her shoulder. "You're not coming in here until you two have made up. We have a job to do."

His hands were back in his pockets. I pulled my sweater farther over my shoulders, sitting on the stoop. My jeans soaked in the light layer of snow.

His shadow moved. He sat a few feet away.

"I came to see Ben," he said. "I didn't know the kid too well, but Val said any faces might help. He's...he's a good guy. Doesn't deserve any of this."

I stared at the ground. I'd started picking one of the weeds.

He scooted closer. "You were saying goodbye?"

"I'm not sure why it matters. Last I checked you dumped me, remember?" I dropped the weed, leaning into my palms. "I don't know. He's my best friend. Or, he was my best friend. Until...I scared him off. Like I always do. Guess you'd know a thing or two about that."

When I looked up again, Alex had left a small trail of his footprints. He leaned against the house.

His voice cut dryly through the air. "I'm glad they moved him back home. I've never really liked hospitals."

"Why?" Like I had any right to ask for a reason. Like anyone needed a reason.

"The smell, for one, kills. I can't breathe. It's either too quiet or too loud. Everybody's crying and saying things they don't mean. And, well, Patrica Samuels."

I stood up slowly, allowing feeling back into my knees. "Who's—"

"Pat Sam. She was my neighbor. My best friend." He spoke towards the road. "We made it official in sixth grade. Had all these plans. Then, out of nowhere, she dumped me freshman year. Said she didn't love me anymore and left it at that. For a month she stopped showing up to classes and no one heard from her. I'd knock on the door to their house and no one would answer. Like she was a ghost.

"Then one morning we all get called into the auditorium. Principal Nixon tells us that Pat's succumb to her mesothelioma diagnosis, and there will be a service the next day. Girl was hiding a freaking cancer diagnosis. Her family had taken to her to some doctors in Turkey as a last resort. But...

"I guess she thought she was protecting me. All I know is I would've given anything to say goodbye. And I hate hospitals. Man, do I hate hospitals."

Then he was sitting beside me again. And I was hugging him. And he was wiping his eyes dry. And I was kissing him. And the snow was puddles. And my shoes were damp. But we weren't in a hospital. And I was kissing him. In front of Ben's doorway. Oh boy.

Pat had went to our school.

I sat up. "Did Val know her? Patricia?"

He shook his head. "You're the first person I've told about her. She wasn't exactly around long enough to get to know anyone."

"I'm sorry."

"Just, promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

"Promise you'll always be honest with me. Please." He cupped my cheek, now an icicle against his gloved fingers. "If we can do that, we can do anything."

I suppose that's how my three day breakup hiatus ended. I wanted to remind him how miserable I'd made him these past few weeks. That he had way too many good points whilst splintering my heart a few days ago. That he was supposed to have stayed in Delcoph for himself, not for me. That I'd already lied to him and myself with ease. He'd asked one thing of me. Honesty. And even that much I couldn't do. So, yes, Alexander Kalpesh and I, for all intensive purposes, started dating again.