Fine

Fourteen: Angry

"I'll see you later, Ma!" I called before I left the house and I heard a faint "be careful" from her. She was trying to come to terms with the divorce but she was happy that I was happy especially after my sour mood that prolonged for three months.

"Hey," he said with a grin on his face.

Unable to control it I grinned back at him feeling self conscious.

"C'mon." He took hold of my hand and led me to Merryweather Park located a few blocks away from my house. My heart fluttered from his touch and the bright sunlight made his green eyes even clearer than it usually was. And I knew I was falling head heels in love with him too quickly, but I didn't care and took in his kind nature. He was my rock, my everything in such a short amount of time we had met, but it was those three in the morning walks and five hours telephone talks that sucked me into his sweet lies. I believed every lie that spewed out of his mouth and I revealed to him everything only to have him shove it back onto my face.

As we neared the park I kept sneaking glances of Curt's profile, simply admiring his natural beauty. He caught me and smirked before looking forward. I looked away from him, my cheeks slightly flushed. He was teasing me, and even though he did this often with me I couldn't help but blush profusely as if it was the first time.

We walked around the corner when I spotted my pa locking lips with another woman who was in between my pa and his car. I stopped abruptly and Curt furrowed his brows in confusion until he followed my gaze to the general area of the couple across the street from us. He immediately grabbed my hand and led me away from the scene in silence until we arrived to the park. He let go of my hand and went t sit down at a bench underneath one of the many tall trees at the park. I took my seat next to him and slumped against him staring at nothing in particular.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly while gazing out at the playground.

I shrug. "I kind of saw this coming," I revealed. "To be honest I saw their whole divorce coming like a tsunami. You can't see it at first, but you can feel it and when you finally get to see it you realize how big and quickly it's coming that you don't have any time left to run. In the end you drown."

"You have a really cynical view of the world," he commented.

"That's what happens when your parents get a divorce and you're old enough to comprehend it." I nuzzled into his shoulder.

"I guess so," he mumbled.

"Here you are, Gwen." One of Max's aunts places the plate in front of me.

I tear my gaze away from the serene scenery outside of the Hendersons' house-slash-mansion to the plate of two eggs benedict with bacon. I nod in gratitude as she leaves to tend to her other family members before I pick up my fork and begin to eat along with a couple of Max's family members. I'm thinking that I'll be able to escape any kind of conversation with his family before going home when Max's mother who is seated across from me speaks up to gain  my attention.

"For how long have you been friends with my baby Maxwell?" she asks.

I look up a bit shy and nervous to speak especially after what happened last night but it's difficult to not use my voice when she is looking at me with a hopeful expression on her face.

I shrug. "Four months," I answer.

"Four months?" Her eye brows raise upwards in surprise. "Wow," she breathes. "Well, you're welcome to come here any time you please so as long as you take care of my Maxwell."

 "Mom, I'm n-not t-ten anymore," Max says as he enters the dining room in a plain white T-Shirt and plaid pyjama pants.

"Sweetie, good morning!" She jumps up and brings her son into a tight hug. She lets go of him and gestures him to take a seat which he does, right next to mine. His mother sits down and takes a bite from her breakfast before she motions to me with her fork. "Make sure to take her home before anyone starts to worry, okay?"