"Honey, we really want you to consider your past relationship before you even think about creating a new one.” My parents said, with pure concern in their voice. I remember the night they had said that. I had been bawling my eyes out over my ex’s new girlfriend, and the awful things she had done to me. I had just gotten over my ex too, in fact. She had harassed me over a simple miscommunication. “Don’t worry, she’s just intimidated by you honey.” That was the best revelation that my counselor could’ve ever given me. I took everything that my parents, friends, and counselors had told me into definite consideration and even told myself I wouldn’t fall in love for a long while. But here I am, exactly one year later, listening to music while cleaning my room, realizing that sadly I discovered, I, I fell in love…once again.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqJWWJGcXb
“Yes bro! He’s like, so funny but sweet at the same time!” I say as I braid the tips of my hair, smiling uncontrollably at my friend Aleya on the phone. “Girl your face is gonna get stuck while you’re smiling over him.” She responds as she continues to do her makeup on the other side of the screen. I just roll my eyes in response. I really am in love again, and I couldn’t be any happier. ‘Matt, Matt, Matt. Goodness, I love that name so much.’ His name rolls around in my head, and I suddenly get dizzy while imagining him talking to me with that velvety soft voice of his. “...and we finally got out of that crazy store and then you wouldn’t believe what hap- GIRL!! Are you daydreaming about him again?!” Aleya accuses me while glaring at me through the phone. Even though she’s on the phone she still looks scary as heck. “Ahahaha, no absolutely not. I would never.” I reply while scratching at the back of my neck instinctively. “Mhm. You better not be. Wouldn’t want another soda explosion incident, would we?” She perks her eyebrow so high I almost said that she should be worried about her face getting stuck, but I know better than to do that so I just keep my mouth shut and nod. “Mk, well I got a date to go to, as you heard me blabbering about earlier, so I’ll call you later. Bye!!” She says as she ends the call. “By-” I don’t even get the word out as I’m faced with a black screen. “Humph” I fall back on my bed, yes, still daydreaming about Matt, but this time I feel even more butterflies creeping into my stomach. ‘I hope he feels the same way..’ I hope as I slowly drift to sleep. I’m almost into a deep slumber, then I hear a RING!! On my phone. “Wha-?” I pop up out of my bed, expecting it to be Aleya again, but no, it’s Imogen. ‘Oh, what’s wrong?’ I start to worry as I answer the call. “Heyy! I just wanted to check in on you cause you’ve been absent from school… Are you doing okay pooks?” She asks, concern filling her voice. She must be outside cause I can hear the sound of a bird chirping, and a boy yelling in the distance? “Oh! Yeah, sorry I forgot to text you that I’ve been si-""CARSON SHUT UP I’M ON THE PHONE, GOSH!” She suddenly puts her phone down and yells, and it instantly gets quiet. I flip my phone sideways to see the view better, and I instantly see a familiar redhead in the distance on the screen. I can’t help but laugh, as he starts to run up to the phone. “NO! STOP IT!!” Imogen screams at him as I watch, what looks like him chasing her through the phone. After a few seconds of them chasing each other, she finally sits down. Out of breath she pants, “So..What were you saying? And I’m sorry about that, Carson is low key a je- ""HI LILAH!!” I hear him yell, “HI CARSON!!” I say back, trying my best not to be too loud cause my throat feels terrible. “Yeah, I’m just sick that’s really all” I say, “Aww I’m sorry pookie, get better okay? I miss you so much, and Matt misses you too!” “W-What?! He does?!” I instantly feel my cheeks heat up at the mention of him missing me? Maybe he truly does feel the same way! Squeal!! “Ohhh yeah, definitely.” She winks and then says she has to go, we say our goodbyes and she ends the call in the middle of Carson yelling “BYEEE-” He’s so goofy.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBMUDY1zj1
“Lilah!! Dinner!!” My mom calls from downstairs. “Okayyyy!” I yell back as I dance around in my room, imagining Matt, my Prince Charming, walking in and sweeping me off my feet, and carrying me off in style. Ok, I know that’s a bit much, but what else can a girl dream about? Surely there’s nothing as magical. I glide down the railing of my stairs, careful not to top over the edge and fall. As I reach the bottom I get a glimpse of dark brown hair and next thing I know, “OWW! LILAH!? WHAT THE HECK!!!!” My sister yells as I topple on top of her. “WATCH OUT WOULD YOU?!” She yells again, as I get up and run a hand through my now-tangled hair. “Well maybe YOU shouldn’t have been right under the stairwell where I was gonna glide OFF OF!!” I snap back, we go on bickering at each other until we hear a wooden spoon bang against a pot. “Girls, Girls, calm down, you’re both alive it’s okay. Now come eat, before it gets cold.” My dad says, and my mom sighs a long, exasperated sigh. So dramatic. “Well how was everyone’s day?” My mother asks as she sits down with her bowl of soup. “Mine was Amazing” My sister, Esther, replies sarcasticaly. “Esther.” My dad scolds, “What?! How about you try getting a slammed into by your sister who’s like a million pounds and your hair gets messed up after spending 2 hours on it!!” She complains. “I’m literally 91 pounds Esther, LESS THAN YOU!” I retort as I roll my eyes at her. “Oh whatever, just because my hair looked extra good today didn’t mean you had to RUIN IT!” She stands from her seat and yells. “WELL YOU KNOW WHAT?!” I yell back and stand up looking up to her. Yes she’s two years younger than me, but about 4 inches taller…Ugh. “Girls sit down-“ My dad tries to say but Esther keeps going. “OH THEN DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS OUTSIDE THEN?” “MAYBE I DO” I snap back. “GIRLS!” My mom screams, and we both freeze, Esther’s eyes widen, and my blood goes cold. My mother is terrifying when she’s mad. Even so, that one time when she was at work, she’s a secretary at our old elementary school, she got mad because everyone was slacking off and she was the only one working hard, she blew up at the whole office, and they never again slacked off after that. Her coworkers even seem terrified when we run into them in public. Man, only if I could be that scary, I could have the whole school in line with a snap. “If I hear one more bicker, complaint, smart comment, or ANYTHING negative from you two, I WILL take away your phones, for a whole MONTH! Do you girls understand?!” Her eyes almost look like they could cut right through me, with the way she’s glaring at me. Why me? Esther started it anyway! “Yes ma’am.” I say, and look down at my food, to hopefully avoid any more of her wrath. She snaps her head at Esther, expecting a respectful apology. “Yes ma’am.” Esther mumbles and rolls her eyes, just when she thought mom didn’t see it, mom yells, “ESTHER LYNN GIVE ME YOUR PHONE. THAT WAS DISRESPECTFUL. YOU’RE GROUNDED FOR TWO WEEKS YOUNG LADY.” “WHAT?!” Esther pops back. Oh boy.. Here we go again. This isn’t the first time they’ve had a fit, in fact this probably isn’t even the millionth. They do it all the time. “Out of love” mom says, “Out of love for her precious younger daughter.” Who is clearly a disrespectful, smart mouthed, brat. But I should keep my opinions to myself. Me and dad slowly make our ways out of the room, excusing ourselves silently, and part our ways. I crawl back up the stairs into the comfort of my room, put my headphones on, and listen to a playlist of “dreamy love songs” on Spotify and lay down on my bed, daydreaming about what me and Matt could be.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXyYT5Reqx
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