Moonbow | Tyrus

Thirteen

Cyrus's POV

"Cyrus!" I hear my dad's voice call. "Dinner!"

I turn off the TV and trudge into the kitchen, pouting the same way I've been pouting since yesterday. Without TJ to see today, I spent the whole day rewatching the entirety of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney Plus. It kept my mind off my sadness for a while, but every time an episode ended, it drifted back to TJ, and I had to start from scratch again with trying to forget him. 

The thing is, I don't want to break up with him, and I'm not going to. Even if my dad never lets me see him again, I'll be able to see him once I go back to my mom's house. But I'm not sure I'll be able to last that long. I think I may crack before then. 

"Come on over and grab some supper," my dad says. 

I drag myself toward the island where the casserole dish sits, steam fogging the air above it. My parents both watch me as I pick up a plate and slop a scoop of food onto it. 

"How was your day?" Sharon tries to ask me.

"Well, I think I broke a record for how long a person can cry for," I mumble. 

She glances to my dad, looking concerned. My dad, however, holds his composure. 

"Maybe after dinner, we can all play a board game? Like we used to do when you were younger."

"I'm really not in the mood," I reply. 

"That's okay," Dad says. "At least we can have dinner all together."

"I'm taking my dinner to my room," I state. 

"Come on, Cyrus—"

"You already stopped me from seeing my boyfriend," I whine. "Will you please just let me be sad in peace?"

My dad doesn't argue with that, and I'm able to mope back upstairs where I sit criss-cross on my bed and shove the food in my mouth. Behind me, the window is open. I haven't closed it since I opened it last night. I've been waiting to hear a song float through the screen, but none has yet. 

A text stops me right as I'm about to stuff another forkful in my face. 

TJ: Any chance he'd let you out for a night?

Me: He basically forbade me from ever seeing you again. I'm sorry. 

TJ: It's okay. I know it's not your fault. I'm sure he'll come around eventually.

I'm really not sure he will, but I don't want to kill TJ's hope.

Me: Yeah, sure. Eventually. 

___________________________________________

The Fork is busy. Or maybe it's dead. I can't tell. My head is down in my arms on the table while Buffy, Andi and Jonah sit around me, all attempting to have a conversation about current events without letting me bring down their vibes, because I told them not to worry about me. It's not working. After long enough, Buffy finally addresses the situation. 

"Cyrus, I know it's hard not being able to see TJ, but I really can't look at you like this."

"Just ignore me," I groan. 

"Well, your hair's kinda in my fries," Andi replies, "so I really can't."

I force my head up and support it with my fists. All three of my friends look extremely concerned for my well-being. It's only been five days, but that might as well be a year. Any time without TJ is too long. At some point during the time we were together, I'm pretty sure he must've physically inserted his name into my brain, because it's all I can think about. Ever. When I wake up. TJ. When I'm eating breakfast. TJ. When I'm tripping on my way up the stairs. TJ. When I'm wailing along to the songs on my step-mom's 80s' country cassette tapes. You guessed it. TJ.

Andi picks a dark hair out of her fries and drops it on the ground.

"Sorry," I mutter. 

"All good," Andi replies. "They're still edible."

A second later, Andi's girlfriend glides over, asking, "Everything tasting good here?"

Looking at her now, I can see the family resemblance. The blonde hair. The... Well, basically just the blonde hair. But that's enough to get me feeling like a thunderstorm is overhead again, and I sink back in my seat. Jonah, who sits beside me in the booth, stares with worried eyes. 

"Everything's perfect," Andi replies to Amber. "Thanks."

"So for later," Amber says, "I'll pick you up once I'm done my shift. You wear something pretty?" 

"Are you saying what I'm wearing now isn't pretty?" 

"There's no way you could possibly be not pretty."

The girls give each other heart eyes as they giggle, and I want to be that bitter person who tells them to save it for when they're not around me, but then again, I also dislike those bitter people. I certainly have greater empathy for them now, though. 

Amber gives Andi a flirty wave goodbye before heading off to another table, and Andi stays smiling until she sees me again, at which point, that smile drops. 

"I'm sorry," she says. 

"You don't have to be sorry!" I snap, releasing a load of anger without meaning to. Andi flinches at my outburst, and I collect myself again before continuing, "I'm just tired. I haven't slept a full night in five days, and I've watched all of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Stranger Things, Atypical, I'm Not Okay With This, and Lost In Space, and now I'm constantly, and unreasonably, paranoid that I'm going to get eaten by a demogorgon or have some weird rust destroy my phone, which would leave me incapable of even texting TJ."

Buffy takes a moment to just look at me before responding, "Have you considered going outside?"

"I would, but if I walk outside, my feet will take me TJ's. I know it. And then my dad will be even more mad, and I don't want to make things worse, but I just really need to see TJ, and I've been praying for my dad to change his mind, but he's so stubborn. More stubborn than you."

"Hey, I am not stubborn," Buffy replies. 

"You kinda are," Jonah counters. 

"I am not," she pushes. 

"Okay, fine," Jonah says. "You're not stubborn."

Buffy smiles a little at her win, but that fades as she realizes the irony in what just happened. 

"Cyrus," Andi says, "if your dad has half a brain in his head, he'll realize you and TJ are meant to be together."

"I really hope so," I respond. 

"And until then," she goes on, "we're going to be here for you whenever you need us."

I smile. They're not TJ, but they are the best friends anyone could have. Having them to talk to will hopefully make this easier. Or at least maybe they'll distract me enough that I won't be crying 24/7.

A/N: Two more parts, fam! Let's go! Woo! Woo! But also, I'm going to sleep now. Bye!