Page 45 of Perfect Tragedy
“Hailey?” I say her name, the uncertainty in my voice clear. Her graduating a year early was the best thing to ever happen. I haven’t seen her since.
“I told you to wait for me,” Blake says, his gaze still on me.
“I know, but it was taking forever and it’s hot. We only have a little time left, so I wanted to come and get you so we can have a proper goodbye. Are you ready?”
“Go back to the car, I’ll be there in a minute, okay?”
My gaze flies between them as they talk, but when she smoothes her hand over the front of her dress, something inside of me dies as realization rips through me.
There’s a small bump at her stomach. I squint at it for a minute, then my eyes fly back to hers. The look of triumph on her face is all the affirmation I need.
This can’t be happening. For a brief moment I wonder if this is all a joke or a dream. I pinch the skin inside my arms when I cross them, but nope, it’s real and it’s standing before me.
The world suddenly grows fuzzy. It’s like everything has suddenly become pixelated and I can’t see anything or anyone clearly. A buzzing begins in my ears and I vaguely realize I’m in shock as the words from his email suddenly repeat over and over in my mind, “It’s too late now.”
It takes me a full minute to realize he’s saying my name over and over again. I want to reply, but I can’t seem to get my mouth to form the words. I’m simply staring at him without responding.
He takes my shoulders in his hands and I immediately shake them off, “Don’t touch me.”
His brow furrows with worry and something that looks like hurt. Oh the irony. I could laugh out loud, “Sienna?”
A funny thought enters my head and I finally do laugh and I’m positive the sound is partly hysterical. Is he expecting me to be happy for him? For them? How can he not know? He has to.
“Sienna, what’s wrong?” My dad asks, his hand landing on my shoulder making me jump a little. His question brings clarity back to me and as I turn and see my parents. I blink several times. When my gaze catches my mom’s it almost makes me choke on a sob. There’s knowledge deep within, she’s known all along how I feel. Everyone else may be clueless, but not her, never her. She takes a half step toward me, then stops and looks around. I can see she’s internally battling whether or not to gather me in her arms.
“Mom, dad, I love you. I’m going to go to that party with Vanessa and I’ll see you later, okay?”
My dad smiles and nods and takes my mom’s hand. They say something and walk away, my mom looking at me uncertainly and I nod at her and try to smile.
Vanessa is suddenly in sight. She’s standing with her parents and mine speak to hers on their way out. Her eyes are full of concern and sadness for me. She says something to her parents and then she’s with me, her hand in mine squeezing. A silent reminder she’s there for me.
I half turn to Blake, “Thanks for coming. Have a safe trip back. Excuse me.”
Moving as quickly as I can, the need to get away overwhelms me. “My car is over here,” Vanessa says and leads the way.
Everyone I pass is a blur, there are calls of congratulations as I pass, people asking me if they’ll see me at the party. I nod absently and keep moving, unable to respond more than that.
Reaching the parking lot, I see her car ahead and full on run. I can feel a sob bubbling in my chest and an ache flows through my body so hard and sharp it feels like its own entity.
Yanking on her car door handle I realize she hasn’t unlocked it yet. I put my head down and breathe deeply waiting. I hear a click just as there’s a hand on my shoulder pulling to turn me around.
Blake. He’s followed me and stands staring at me, his breaths coming fast, eyes looking wild.
“Sienna, what’s wrong?”
I laugh, “Did you really just ask me that?”
He looks down and back at me again, “I was going to tell you.”
“Oh my god, I can’t do this right now.”
“Why did you run away? You look like you’re going to cry. I’m sorry I hadn’t told you yet. It was a shock-”
Staring at him standing before me, the light from the setting sun hits his dark hair making it shine like a dark halo. His concerned eyes are wide and green, and in a flash I’m reminded of the day we met, the memories flashing through my mind once again, one after another like they have a million times before. It makes my chest ache so hard that I gasp for breath.
“Stop! Just stop. I don’t want to hear it. I’m so done caring. Just, leave me alone.”
“What do you mean? Why are you so mad? I don’t understand.”
