Impossible

Old School Romance

Lauren's car was waiting outside the Home Slice and Jessica got inside quickly. Both her friends could tell she was upset and asked her what happened. She told them about her conversation with Edward, his confession, and the crap pile of insults he threw at her. She was so incensed at the end that both Lauren and Angela were both quiet, trying to process all of it.

Angela was the first to recover. "So...Edward Cullen is in love with you."

"He thinks he's in love with me," Jessica rubbed at her temples. "Apparently he hates that he feels any sort of emotion for me and somehow it's all my fault."

"He's an asshole," Lauren remarked. "Who can fuck off in a cave or bridge of wherever vampires dwell in."

"He didn't articulate himself very well," Angela said. "How do you feel about this, Jess?"

"I want him to go away and leave me alone," She leaned back and wished that she never met Edward Cullen. "He always makes me feel like garbage and I hate him."

"You should hate him," Lauren agreed. "Anyone who makes you feel that way is not worthy of your time."

"I know."

She knew it now after the previous year of Mike and Edward throwing mixed signals at her. She was so done with boys. She used to obsess over the fact that the boys she liked never liked her back. In reality, she just had the worst taste in boys and was wasting her time.

They dropped her off at her house. Angela stepped out of the car and gave her a hug. Jessica accepted her comfort, not wanting to cry but it was nice to be held by someone she knew really loved her. Angela told her that she would call later and she got back in the car.

Jessica made her way back inside and her mom must've sensed something was off because she was being extra nice. Her mom suggested they watch a movie together. Even Emily was allowed to stay past her bedtime for it.

"I thought you said no movies on school nights," Jessica remarked as they she set up the DVD player.

"Sometimes you have to live a little," her mother replied, salting the bowl of popcorn. "Besides, Gene Kelly never gets old."

Emily fell asleep half way through the movie and their mom carried her into her room. She returned to the living room and they watched Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds dance together. Her mom smiled and hummed along to the song. Jessica watched her expressions and wondered how many times her parents watched this movie before she was born.

"Hey, mom," she said. "How did you and dad meet?"

Her mom smiled wider as she began to reminisce. "We met at Bates College in Maine. Your dad was on the rowing team and I was in an acapella group."

"What? You in an acapella group?" Jessica was surprised as her mom never sang outside of the shower. "No freaking way."

"Yes, I was," her mom explained. "I met your dad at a party. It was Newman Day and he was drunk as a skunk. He tried to hit on me and I turned him down. I didn't really like him at first."

She had never known that. As far as she could remember, her parents had always acted as a unit and seemed very in love. Too much if she was being honest. She used to make faces when they would kiss in front of her.

"What happened? What made you change your mind about him?"

"I saw him on campus the next day. He was so hungover he could barely see straight. He apologized for the previous night and asked me if we could go to lunch together," Her mom shrugged. "I don't know why but I said yes. We bonded over a mutual love of ABBA. And a few years later, we got married and had you."