AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tilly
1993
I couldn’t do anything right. No matter what I said, or even how I said it, every word that came out of my mouth led to an argument. And not the playful arguments that Wyatt and I usually had. No. Real arguments with sharp tones and resentful stares.
We’re falling apart. I can feel it.
With a can of Coke in his hand, Wyatt was studying my CD collection, sorting through each plastic case with a sneer on his face. He held up Prince’s latest album, The Love Symbol, tilting his head to the side.
“What? What’s the problem?”
“Prince? Really?”
“Um, he’s my favorite. You know this,” I said, placing my hands on my hips. “We just listened to that album a couple of weeks ago.”
“When we were kids, his music was actually good. But now? No thanks.”
“That’s your opinion. And I don’t agree, thank you very much. I think he’s a genius. Once a genius, always a genius.”
Wyatt slammed the case down and picked up another. “I just think it’s weird that you still listen to him. That’s all.”
“And I think it’s weird that you’re being so critical of everything lately. Yesterday, you snapped at me because I was going five miles under the speed limit.”
“We were running late.”
“So? You’ve never cared about my driving before. But lately, it’s like you’re a different person.”
“That’s not true. I’m still me.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “What’s going on with you? You’ve barely touched me in days.”
“That’s not true—”
“You snap at me every chance you get; it’s like we’re some old, married couple, but not in a good way.”
He paused, and his jaw ticked. He just stared down at the Purple Rain CD in his hands. “Nothing. It’s nothing. Now, this…this was a great album.”
“Still is.”
Wyatt looked at me and rolled his eyes. “You know what I meant.”
“Sure,” I said, climbing onto my bed, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark plastic stars on my ceiling. My best friend and neighbor, Veronica, had given them to me. She was obsessed with star gazing and was hoping to ease me into it with these little plastic pieces. She even helped me attach them to the ceiling so that they would accurately depict the sky above.
As much as I loved the plastic version, though, the real stars just didn’t do it for me. But right now, while arguing with Wyatt, these little plastic stars were giving me just the smallest amount of comfort, knowing I could show up at Veronica’s house later, and she’d listen to everything.
She was such a good friend.
Wyatt placed the CD back on the pile and huffed. “I, uh…I should probably go. I have to be home for dinner.”
“Sure, fine, whatever.”
“Tilly,” he said, and we locked eyes. His voice was pained, and it made my heart flutter.
“What?”
“Come here, okay?”
“No.”
