Play No More (Player Next Door sequel) ✓

43 | Past, Present and Future

Thank you @xoxo_barchie_xoxo for the poster. The outline of the two of them really sets the scene.

Chapter 43: Past, Present and Future

I'm out here writing break up songs in my head.

My curtains were closed and the lights were off. I sat in the corner of my dark bedroom, with my arms around my knees. I'm feeling sad, listening to sad music so I can feel even sadder.

I know that's a meme and I'm here for it. I pressed shuffle on my phone and let Adele fill the void.

I don't like how people at my school were laughing at me behind my back. I thought I was in a committed relationship with someone, while they all thought I was a side piece in Luke and Bianca's love story.

Just when I feel like we're getting irreversibly close, why do we have to take ten steps back?

I've laid on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. It felt raw and true. I felt like I'd met someone so different to me and yet connected, like we were cut from the same cloth.

His strengths were my weaknesses and his weaknesses were my strengths.

Why did I have to jump into the deep end like this? Where's my lifeboat? I forgot a safety jacket. 

OK, this is too much. I'll reign in my melodrama.

I wanted to let out my emotions now, delve into my own sadness so I can release some tension and face him with less emotion. I wanted to jump to conclusions now so that I won't do that later.

I exhaled a giant and long sigh.

Player habits die hard.

I rolled my eyes at my own subconscious and turned the music off. It was obviously getting to my head.

Someone had complained about me at my work and management decided to let me go. I'm not good enough. That's the overlying message. Who will hire me now? How will I pay for things now?

I've had many people exit my life. Even my own mother has one foot out the door.

But each time I've managed. All I can do is grow stronger. My grades will take me out of this. I'll go to college one day and get a job... and then I'll be free. Independent and free. That's the plan.

My phone vibrated with a text.

It was from Chad: Dropping shrooms. Making rice in Alpine

That was not what I expected. I texted back: ?

The three dots appeared in our chat and a second later, I received Chad's response: Sorry, wrong number

**

I was working on the math exercise Joe had given me when my phone finally rang. I picked up.

"Hey Minnie, I'm heading out. You home?"

"Yes," I said, closing my laptop and unfolding my legs from their crossed position on my chair. I spun round and faced my empty bedroom.

I took a deep breath and thought about how I was about to do this. I was really about to do this.

"Are you on your way somewhere?" I asked him, "If you're not in a rush, maybe we can talk?"

"I'm a minute away from you," he said, "Unless you want me to climb up the drainpipe. Then I'm two."

He's coming. He's coming here. Is this really the right place to have this conversation? I kicked my clothes under the bed and plumped up my pillows when I realized what am I doing?