Daya

32| The Break Up pt 2

Since Vince stayed home with Vicki our groceries are diminishing so my mom sends Vince and I to Ralph's with her credit card. I'm on cart duty and Vince slowly walks behind me throwing things in the basket as we begin to go up and down the aisles. We don't have a list just ideas of what we need and want, to make this trip worse we're both kind of hungry.

"Do you want bagels or English muffins? Ooh they have whole grain." Vince says excitedly when we approach the bread aisle. His eyes switch between the two and he touches every package of bread like some child.

"Yeah get the wheat bagels," I say. He drops the package of bagels in the cart and we continue to stroll.

When I'm about to turn into the cereal aisle Vince and I exchange a look. "We don't have bread," we say in unison. Vince quickly runs back to the bread aisle and switches the bagels with some whole grain bread. We continue to realize and remember the food we actually need for a bit then we go back to searching the aisles for anything we've might've forgot.

"Vicki and  I broke up," Vince blurts out. I stop the cart in the middle of the frozen food section and then turn around so fast I get a headache.

"What?"I yell. Vince must be experiencing brain damage from his seizure because last time I checked Vicki couldn't bare to leave her injured boyfriend.

"Vicki and I broke up," he repeats with a shrug. "Or really I broke up with her, but the details don't matter." He has a chill manner that only good on one person, Ziyah. They broke up? He broke up with the most beautiful girl in the school?

"The details do matter, Vince I thought you guys love each other." My raised voice attracts the attention of a mom getting frozen pizza, and I remember we're in Ralphs.

"We do love each other just as best friends, getting together was a mistake." I wouldn't admit it to Vince or Vicki, but when they got together my first thought was that their friendship is ruined.

"You were in the hospital how could that not make you want to be closer to her." I lower my voice and the anger that initially filled me turns into some version of sadness because Vince and Vicki definitely complimented each other. 

"Daya you just had your first kiss this year you don't know shit about relationships and the feelings that come with them." He's no longer trying to be calm and collected, and his nostrils flare. Too bad he turned off his anger right when I turned off mine.

"I know that she made you happy." Vince and I battle looks for a second, but we're stopped by an elderly woman who opens the freezer door in between us.

"Excuse me just need to get my lean cuisine," she says. We plaster smiles on our faces for the lady and she continues down the aisle. Vince gives me a look and without words we agree not to be those black people fighting in the grocery store.

"She looked sweet," I say and push the cart towards the cashier.
"Yeah she looks like she's aging well," Vince adds.

We get home and my mom uses the groceries we got to make some turkey burgers. I don't have the idea to resume our conversation until after dinner when Vince heads towards his room. I should mind my business, but Vince needs Vicki in his life whether they're are a couple or best friends.  I open the door to Vince's room and Vince is laying on his besd scrolling through his phone.

"Vince I know it's none of my business, but we're siblings we get in each other's business."  I walk to his bed and stand in front of him with a hopeful smile.

"10 questions then we're done," he sighs and sits up. I didn't expect that now I have to organize my thoughts into questions. He slits his eyes at me and I try to prioritize the many questions I have.

"Why did you break up with her?" Seeing that this will take some time I take a seat in his study chair.

"Because you can't start a relationship in the senior year of highschool and expect longevity." 

"Did she cry?" Vince stops looking at me and runs his hand over his face. That's a clear yes which makes me feel shitty for asking.

"Do you think you guys will be able to become best friends again? I mean it was 3 months but you guys had 3 years of friendship."

"We're going to try, but you know what's going to happen." I do, they'll try being friends for a month or so, but then it will get awkward and by college they will barely speak to each other.

Vince avoids looking at me and tries to stare at his Prince poster. Just like he could see and read through my emotions in a matter of seconds, I'm aware he's taken off his brave guard and is hurt. He's so good at hiding his real feelings with shrugs and smiles, which is the exact reason no one knew he was concussed.

"Anymore questions, you've got a good amount left," he says and his eyes haven't moved from the Prince poster. I'm positive there are 23 other questions I could ask, but at this moment there's only one that's important.

"Vince are you ok?" His eyes land on me and his brow furrows.

"Daya come on don't be stupid with me. Vicki loved me for me and not because I'm the star quarterback..We broke up because I don't want her to be tied down to me. She's an amazing person and deserves to meet new people. So no I'm not ok."

In less than a second I make my way over to Vince on his bed. He resists  my embrace which makes it hard for me, but he lets me hug him. We separate and instead of going back to his study desk I sit right next to him on his bed. Partly because I want to be there for him, but Vince also has a king size bed that's comfy as hell. 

"Are you going to be ok?" I ask. Vince faces me and lets out another sigh.

"I'm Vince Price I'm going to be perfect," he says and shoves me right off of the bed. "Also don't expect longevity with that guy," he adds when I get up from the pile of clothes I fell on. What is up with Vince using words like longevity? Breaking up with Vicki leaves some time in his schedule for studying a word of the day calendar. Longevity hmm what a nice word.