Chapter 2

Brielle's POV

It's been a week since my mom dropped me off at my gramps. It was hard separating from my mother but as I said. This is all for the best. All of us need to figure out a way forward without each other. I was laying on my mother's bed in her old room. Everything was the way she left it, says her. I got a glimpse of what my mom was like during her teenage years. She was as girly as a girl can get alright. Her room was full of pink, purple, and light colors. The walls were full of some photos of boy bands and her friend's pictures. She was one popular girl.

It was a normal teenage girl's room. I wished to change anything about it. It made me feel my mother's presence. I came across some of her diaries that she kept. I don't know if she forgot about them or if she decided to leave them here. I have been debating with myself if I should read them or not. I wanted to but it felt like I would be invading her privacy. It would be intruding on her thoughts that she couldn't share with anyone. A dairy is really personal. I don't keep onw because I don't want anyone getting a chance tu intrude on my thoughts.

I put them away and decided that it wouldn't be right to read them. I wouldn't want anyone reading my diary. If I had one. I'm not really a jotting down how you feel kind of person. I bottle up. My thoughts are safe with me.

My phone rang on the bedside table. I reached for it and answered the call without checking the caller ID.

" Hello"

" And here I thought you would be missing me and unable to live with me. I guess I was delusional to think that way," said a dejected voice. I immediately face palmed myself after identifying the voice. My best friend Anthony Warren.

I racked my brain for an excuse to give but I just wasn't good at those kinds of stuff. I honestly forgot him there. I meant to call him when I got settled but it slipped my mind. I tend to do that a lot when I get preoccupied. I feel bad for doing that to him. I don't know what get into me.

" I'll make it up to you when I come home. What would you like me to get you? Chocolates, spicy tacos, " I say trying to appeal to him.

" Are you trying to bribe me missy?" He asks incredulously. I nod my head forgetting that he can't see me.

" Yes. Is it working?"

" I want the whole feast that would make up for a whole week of being forgotten. You have just signed up to be my slave you got that?" he says pretending to be stern making burst out into laughter. This is how we are. We can't stay mad at each other for more than a few minutes. Maybe it's because we have never had a real fight.

Anthony has been my friend since middle school. A group of girls attempted to pick on me and bully me but he stood up for me. To be honest, I was no damsel in distress that was expecting a knight in shining armor to swoop in and save me. Since he interfered before I could defend myself, I let him carry on. I might look like a loner... well I am a loner but I am not timid. I can stand my ground. I know how to fight back.

After telling the poor girls off, Anthony who I call Tony dragged me to the playground. He introduced himself to me and told me not to worry since he wouldn't let anyone hurt me. That was weird, honestlybut deep down I kind of liked how he stood up for me. I was a closed-off kid who didn't talk a lot and liked being alone but for the first time, I let someone close to me. Perhaps it's because of what he said to me. He said I remind him of his deceased younger sister. She died because of leukemia. He was sad that he could no longer be a big brother and he blamed himself for her death saying he couldn't protect her.

I was touched and I decide to be his little sister to him even though we are the same age. I am 3 months older than him. He cried while telling me about his little sister and I ended up comforting him. I felt bad for him. I couldn't possibly know how it feels since I was an only child. I could only guess. Losing someone you love is tragic. From then, we were inseparable. He became my first and best friend. The others even suspected that we are dating. We never bothered to correct them.

" I miss you so much. It's not the same without seeing your cute face anymore or eating your delicious food. Did you have to leave?"

I sighed and got off the bed. " I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's talk about senior year instead. Are you ready for your last year of high school?"

I heard him take a sharp breath. " I don't know. I thought I was but I don't have my girlfriend anymore so a lot of girls will fuss over me. Too much temptation. I don't think I can handle the pressure without you here to scare them away," he joked making me laugh.

" Will you be serious? I am not kidding," I say after I compose myself.

He is a ladies man that one. Never once has he tried to make a move on me. As we grew up, I was afraid that our feelings towards each other would change. Mostly in his side. He would stop seeing me just as a friend or like a younger sister. If either of us developed feeings for each other then things would change. I didn't want that because our friendship would end and be lost.

I was glad that never happened. We remained just friends for so long. But, our closeness caused me some trouble. Anthony is really handsome and me being his best friend didn't sit well with anyone. All the girls were all over him. Only Lisa, his girlfriend knew the real truth about us but even she was threatened by my presence.

" Neither am I. We have been together for far too long. It won't be the same without you." I could hear the sincerity in his tone made me feel bad for leaving him like that. But that's all I could do.

" That's the problem. You have gotten so used to me that you closed yourself off from other people and you put me first a lot. This is good for to have individual experiences as our people. Who knows? You might meet someone special who will mean a lot more to you. Don't think of me too much. Make this your year to let other people in and have the best time of your life. I plan to do the same. Okay?"

" Will you..." he hesitates for a second. " Will you forget me?"

I smiled to myself. Of course, he feels insecure about me being away from him. If he left me I would feel the same way as well. It's understandable.

" I swear not to. I can never forget you. It's impossible," I say trying to assure him.

" Enough about me then!" he exclaims back to his jolly self.

" What about you? Will senior year be the beginning of your love story?" That caught me off, guard. I didn't think about it that far. I don't think something like that will happen to me. I've heard that I am cold and unapproachable. I don't how to be any other way. So how will a romance even begin? Do I want it? I don't know. I don't really know anything about love. All I know is that love requires, sacrifice, patience, and change.

" Who knows?" I left it at that. I don't know what the near future holds for me but I promised myself one thing. I will try my best to face it head-on. I will embrace the change within me and melt the ice around me that makes me seem unpleasant. I will try to be open.

" Well then. Try not to miss me too much. I'll come over during the holidays. Until then, try not to sulk."

After the call with Tony, I accompanied my grandmother grocery shopping and she showed me around town. I figure it would come in handy when I start school. It was fun to spend time with her. She is the wiser version of my mother. I guess it comes with age. She introduced me to some of the town folk who welcomed me warmly.

When we got back to the house I was beat. That was too much interaction for one day although I enjoyed it. I helped my grandmother with dinner and grandpa joined us when he came back from his tailor store. With my parents, dinner was lonely. None of us talked because the was tension between them. It wasn't easy to strike up a conversation. It's not like I tried. As simple as telling each other about how our day went on was something difficult.

My folks went to sleep and I stayed back to clean up. Grandma said she would do it but I stopped her. She was too kind for doing everything for me but that made me feel like a guest. I wanted to contribute in some way to the household. I did the dishes and went back to the room. It was taking time for me to fall asleep and I was bored with my phone. I stared at the ceiling and tried closing my eyes but sleep evaded me.

I remembered my mother's diaries. I hasitsted but I caved in and went to get them. I placed them on the bed and looked at the for a while like they were pandora's box. Curiosity got the better of me and I grabbed the first one. It was written, Maya's diary, the year 1995.

I opened it and saw the first entry. It was titled " Love At First Sight". There was no going back now. Forgive me mom, I thought to myself as I began going through he love story.