Missed Me, Missed Me, Now You Gotta Kiss Me

There's a Fire Starting in My Heart

  “So my dad had this great idea.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Oh, wait ‘till you hear it! It’s absolutely horrifying!”

  “For God’s sake, Piper, just tell me!”

  “Okay. So it was as soon as I freaking woke up yesterday morning…..”

  It had been a beautiful and sunny Sunday morning. I had gotten up at ten o’clock, feeling a bit more refreshed and less….trampy. So, with a big smile on my face, I trotted down the stairs, fully intending to make breakfast. But, to my dismay, my mother was already dishing breakfast up. It looked like biscuits and gravy—a thing my mother made well, but hardly ever made—but you never know; that sausage could be anchovies. This all should have been my first clue.

  “Morning, honey!” my mom had greeted with this glowing grin on her face.

  I had sat at the table warily, eyeing my biscuit—I hated the gravy; just the biscuit and butter. “Morning….”

  Dad was already seated at the head of the table, glued to his blackberry.

  “Honey, turn that off,” my mom had muttered, placing his plate in front of him. I swear, she had the mindset to snatch that little device from him immediately.

  Anyway, as soon as my mother was seated, I knew something was up.

  “What’s…..going on?” I’d asked warily.

  “Well, your mom says I have to ask you first,” my father began. “but what do you think of having Liam and his girlfriend over this week? I barely see him anymore.”

  For a minute, all I could do was stare at them. I had forced myself to shrug nonchalantly. “That’s fine. Um, but you do remember I’m staying the night at Lulu’s this weekend, right?”

  My mom had sighed in a way that signaled she saw through my lie and petty excuse to get out of dinner. “I really think you should be here.”

  I had given her a hard look. I never should have told her anything was up. Now she thought it was her duty to fix it. That’s what this dinner was really gonna be about; my parents trying to mend mine and Liam’s past friendship.

  “Maybe we just weren’t meant to friends,” I told Lulu now.

  “Okay, it’s completely screwed up what your parents are doing for one,” she said finally after being eerily silent for the past few minutes as I bitched. “And second, I can’t believe you would say that! Of course you two were meant to be friends! He’s just being a little immature right now.”

  “A little?”

  Lulu gave me a hard, stern look. “Well, what d’you think was gonna happen, Piper? When a guy really decides to love a woman, he puts all his love into her. You can’t blame the guy for being a bit crushed right now.”

  I combed my hair back with my fingers, feeling miserable. “Thanks, Lulu.”

  “Hey, I’m serious. You’ve gotta give him time to mourn the loss of your affection. Although, personally, I think you’re being a stubborn ass. But that’s just my opinion.”

  I let my back fall flat on her bed, feeling lower than dirt. First, I’m a slut. But now I was a heartbreaking slut. It just got better and better.

  Lulu sighed, lying back with me. “Can I make a suggestion?” Without waiting for a reply, she plowed right into it. “Don’t bring Kyle to this thing.”