Long-Distance Calls

28

*This chapter is dedicated to aprilghosh who just read the whole shebang. Thank you very much for your support, it's what keeps me going.*

As always, the language in this chapter is so colorful that it looks like the LGBTQ flag.

My mom had not only the audacity of letting me find her behind the door of my room, but also of pretending an answer to her personal investigation. Also known as invasion of privacy.

"Eavesdropping much?" I said.

"Yeah, so?" She replied.

I felt a weird grimace appearing on my face. "So what? Ever heard of the privacy concept?"

"You're in my house, your privacy is our privacy," she barked.

"What?" I was in pure disbelief. "Alright, listen. You used to buy books on how to deal with babies before I was born, right? Well, maybe now you should buy one on how to deal with a fucking teenager, because, believe me, you ain't doing that right."

"Peter, you're not even a teenager," she said, "you're just a kid."

"Jesus Fitzgerald Christ," I boasted, "I'm not a kid. I'm fifteen. Fif-teen, get it? In my teens. Therefore, the first important thing I need in my life is some privacy. Would you be so fucking gentle to give that to me?"

"The first important thing you and all teenagers need," she replied, "is less Internet. So you either tell me who you were talking to just now, or Internet will be nothing but a distant memory. How about that?"

I wanted to say so many bad words to her in that moment, and I wanted to hit the wall. But that would have only made things worse. "Fucking blackmailing..." I muttered, "it was that friend I told you about."

"The one from New York?" She asked.

"Yeah," I lied, "him."

"And you were telling him that you love him?" She was perplexed.

I sighed. "Yep."

"Peter, are you gay?" She asked with one eyebrow slightly raised.

"God, you're ridiculous," I said.

"No," she said, "I'm your mother and if you insult me once again I'll knock some sense into you."

"I can't wait to be twenty," I murmured with my head down, almost hoping she wouldn't hear me.

"And do what?" She raised her voice in mockery. "What are your big time plans for when you're twenty?"

I couldn't stand being there and listen to her crap anymore. I shouted. "Go as far away from this toxic house as possible."

"Yeah, sure," she made fun of me, "if you ever go away from this house you'll become the toxic one, and I mean a junkie."

I tilted my head and my neck cracked. "Sure, I'll become America's most wanted."

"So are you gay?" She went at it again.

"No," I scolded, "I'm not gay. I was telling a friend that I love him. Is that so fucking weird? Now please just let me fucking go. Goddammit."

I passed by her and walked towards the stairs, hearing her say "yes, it's weird," behind me. I exited the house and sat in the doorway.

I just needed some fresh air and calm, away from the madness that lived inside that house. I could never enjoy one moment at its fullest, because either her or my father would do something ridiculous like this and ultimately make me feel like shit.

Outside the house, I stared at the stars. Some so bright, some barely visible. I imagined one of those stars as Neverland.

I thought about what I said earlier and I took it back. I didn't want to be twenty. I wanted to stay a kid forever. All I wanted was to be taken seriously. But it seemed to me like I had to be old to be taken seriously.

But I looked at other people and I saw it. As soon as you grow up, your life turns into a mess. And I mean a mess worse than mine.

That's why I stared at that star and imagined it as Neverland. I needed that place. I needed somewhere where I could be a kid and be taken seriously. And have a good life with no chance of turning it into a mess.

As I stared at that star my eyes fell into the illusion of all other stars around it disappearing, and I almost felt bad for depriving it of its company and making it as miserable as me.

But then I thought about Evelyn. And I realized I wasn't really that miserable. I had a girlfriend now. She loved me. And I loved her.

If only she could be there. She'd stare at the stars with me. And I could prove my mother wrong. Show her that I'm not a loser.

So when I thought of her, the night sky became something else than just an evasion tool. It became a soothing fact.

"Hey my sweet Avsam," I started texting Evelyn, "I was looking at one star just now and I thought to myself: well, she could be looking at the same exact star I'm looking at right now. And suddenly you don't feel that far away."

I didn't have to wait long for her to reply. "We are indeed under the same sky, Avsam."

I smiled and typed back. "Well, I wish I could fly in this sky above us and come to you. Just to give you a goodnight kiss, you know."

"You're making me blush over here," was her reply.

And when I smiled I realized that, until then, I had never met anyone that would make me smile like an idiot and for no apparent reason in front of a screen. "Goodnight Avsam... sweet dreams."

I looked back at that star. It was still there. Looking down on me. Until my mother dragged me back to Earth. "What are you doing out there in the cold? Come on, it's time to sleep."

I took a deep breath and stood up, ready to go back inside, but not before I took another glance at the star.

But this time, the star emitted a quick red light. And then a quick green light. My eyes left the sight of the star and came back to Earth.

I opened the door and headed back home.

I won't forget that chilly night of late December, when I found myself wishing on a star that was just a satellite.

***
Thank you as always for reading this little melancholic chapter! If you liked it, VOTE and COMMENT. Special thanks to Corabellina and Lady_guardian_star who are always here.

BUT... what will be Frank's role in the newborn relationship between Peter and Evelyn? Will it be trouble or will it be blessing? Find out SOON, in the next chapter.

And notice how I said SOON instead of NEXT WEEK? That's because you might not have to wait 'till Friday for the next one!

Ta-ta for now, Robbers.
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