Trying to Find a Way

Chapter eleven

I wake up to snow. More like a giant snow storm. Troy left last night to finish homework.

I hear my mom come upstairs.

"You don't have school today." She said.

I nod.

"What day is it?" I ask.

I haven't looked at the calendar or my phone date in so long.

"It's February third," she says, "Valentines day is coming up." She adds.

Of course she adds that to the conversation!

"Is there a dance at school?" She asked.

"Yes." I simply say.

It's too early in the morning to be talking this much. I hate talking to people in the morning, it bugs me.

My mom must have got the memo about me and not talking in the morning because she walks out of my room.

At least I have no school today, that's a bonus.

I walk down the noisy stairs and into the amazing kitchen. The kitchen holds my love, food. I open the fridge and grab yogurt and berries. I am going to make a smoothie!

I put all of the ingredients into the blender.

A noise comes from the door. I slowly walk up to the door, uncertain of who is there. I open the door to see a freezing Troy!

"G-good m-m-morning." He says.

He is shivering. I grab his sleeve and rush him inside.

"How long have you been out there?" I ask concernedly.

"About eight minutes. It is freezing out." He says.

I go into the kitchen to make Troy hot chocolate, that'll warm him up. He takes off his coat, boots, and a hat, and oh yeah gloves. He hangs them on our coat rack.

My mom got it because I was leaving my coat on the couch, that made the couch wet and a unhappy mother.

"What are you making?" He asked and sat onto the bench by the island.

"I'm making hot chocolate for you. Did you eat breakfast?" I ask.

I wait for the pot to boil to indicate that the water is hot enough

"I didn't have breakfast." He mumbles.

I go into the freezer and grab waffles. I know they are his favorite. I pop them into the toaster.

I put my focus back on my smoothie. I press a start button, not realizing that I forgot to put the lid on the top.

Fruit, milk, and yogurt fly everywhere. It is a volcano that'll never stop! I quickly stop it, but it didn't stop the mess.

I stand there shocked. Troy is on the ground laughing. He knew about the lid! I am covered in the ingredients.

"You knew!" I screamed.

He lifts his head from the floor. He nods, not able to speaks from all the laughing.

"You're cleaning it up." I say angrily.

"No I'm not! That is your mess!" He defended.

If looks could kill, Troy would've been shot a thousand times. He saw my death glare and went straight to the closet to get a rag to clean the mess up.

In the mean time, I finish making him his waffles and hot chocolate. I put chocolate chips onto his waffles and watch them melt from the warm waffle.

I put his breakfast on the island. I watch him clean the ceiling and the floor. He cleans up quickly, eager to eat his breakfast.

I decide to have cereal. I grab Special K out of one of the cabinets and eat it dry.  I sit beside Troy as he gobbles down his waffles.

"How do you make these so good?" Troy questioned.

I shrugged.  I didn't know why they ended up so good, even-though I can't even make soup without burning it.  Long story short, somehow I burned the soup and it started to smoke up.

"Do you want to watch a movie today?" Troy asked.

I nod.  My mom made me start to think about the dance.  Will he even ask me?  I mean he can be romantice at times, but I don't know what he'll do. 

We crash onto the couch and watch The Notebook.  It is my favorite movie.  I convinced Troy to watch it with me.  He seems uncomfortable, like not his usual self.

"Is everything okay?" I ask Troy.

His head shoots up from his hands, which they are fidgety.

"Um yes." He says and doesn't make eye contact.

Just last night he said that he would tell me anything, he isn't now.  I feel a pain in my chest for him.  I wish he would tell me whats wrong.

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We are half way through the movie.  I've cried a lot already.  Troy is now on the other side of the couch.  What is up with him?

I keep looking over to him to make sure he is okay.

"Carolina?" Troy asked softly.

I look over to him. 

"Yes?" I return.

"Today is the day when Tory died." Troy barely manages to get out.

My heart breaks, breaks, breaks for him.

I go to his side of the couch and hug him tightly.

"I miss her so much." Troy says sobbing.

My eyes sting with tears.  He puts his head by my neck.  Wet tears are now on my neck from Troy. 

"Where is your mom?" I ask quietly.

"At home.  I left because there were too many pictures of her in that house." He whispers.

I get out my phone out of my pocket with my hand that isn't rubbing Troy's back.  I call Jordan.

"Hello?" Her voice cracks.

"Hi Jordan, this is Carolina.  Can you come over?" I ask her softly.

"Yes." She says and hangs up.

A couple minutes later I hear a knock.

"I'm going to let your mom in." I whisper to Troy.

He only nods.  I walk over to the door and open it to see Jordan with mascara running down her cheeks.  I engulf her into a hug.  She returns it.  She lets go and goes into the living room without a word.  I follow her and sit beside Troy, who is now shaking in his mom arms. 

I choke on a sob.  I hate seeing Troy like this, even though I never saw him this broken before.

"How about we pay a visit to Tory?" His mom suggest.

Troy lifts his head and nods.

"I'll get the car started." Jordan said and left.

Troy falls back onto me.

I kiss him cheek.

"Thank you for being there for me." Troy whispers in my ear.

"You're welcome.  Thank you for being there for me too." I return.

We hear a car horn.  I help Troy out of house to the car, ready to visit Tory.