Chapter Eleven
A few months later
"You're joking right?" I asked my parents, as I paced around in the kitchen.
"No," Mom said, "I'm not. We're sorry, but you just can't."
My parents had just told me that I couldn't go to Florida to visit Nick over Spring Break because they already had plans for the family.
"This can't be happening," I said, "But I already told him I was coming, Mom."
"Just write to him and tell him that there's a change in your plans."
"This really isn't fair," I said, "I can't believe you would just make me change my plans because you made one without even thinking about me first."
I ran out of the kitchen and down to my room, slamming the door closed as I went in. I dove onto the bed, burrying my face in my pillow. It just wasn't fair. They knew I had been looking forward to seeing Nick since he had left in January. As I thought about how I was going to tell Nick, I started to cry. The last E-mail he had sent me, which I had just read that morning, was filled with things that he wanted to tell me in person, that he wanted to show me, and things that he wanted us to do together. I didn't know how I was going to tell him that I wasn't coming after all.
About an hour later, when I had calmed down, I sat up, reached over, and picked up the phone. I dialed Nick's number and listened to the phone ring.
"Hey, this is Nick," the answering machine had clicked on, "I can't come to the phone right now, so leave your name and number and a short message and I'll get back to you when I can. Okay? Peace."
I took a deep breath and prepared to leave my message. "Nick? It's me. I have something really important --" But I never got to finish.
"Jen?" Nick came on, breathless.
"Hi," I said.
"I was in the living room when the phone rang," said Nick, "I was going to let the answering machine get it, then I heard your voice. What's going on?"
"I have something important I have to tell you," I said, "And you're not going to like it. I don't even like having to tell you this. I don't want to tell you this, but I have to."
"What is it?" Nick asked.
"I can't come to Florida to visit you over Spring Break," I said.
"What? Why not?"
"My parents made plans for us to go to Las Vegas with Aunty Karen and Uncle Les," I said, "My mom's sister and brother in law."
"And they didn't remember that you're supposed to be coming here for Spring Break?" Nick asked.
"It slipped their minds and there's nothing we can do about it," I said, tears welling up in my eyes, "They already bought the tickets."
"I can't believe this," Nick said, "I just can't believe it."
"Me neither," I said, "But there's nothing we can do. I'll call your parents and tell them that I'll pay them back for the ticket."
"They're not going to care," said Nick, "They're going to feel just as I do. Ticked off that you can't be here with me."
"Nick," I said, "If you knew just how much it kills me not to be able to be with you over Spring Break..."
"We're going to find a way around this," Nick said, "Don't worry."
"But how?" I asked.
"I don't know yet," said Nick, "But I'll figure something out."
He sounded so determined.
"Okay," I said, "I have to go. I love you."
"I love you too," Nick said.
I hung up the phone and then went over to my computer.For the rest of the night, no one came near my room. My parents knew how angry I was at them for making those plans. I just chatted on the internet all night, venting about how they ruined my Spring Break.Unfortunately, in the end, things didn't work out like we wanted. Nick and I couldn't change my parents' minds and I was forced to go to Las Vegas. I called Nick every night while I was there and we talked for a long time.After I got home, the calls from Nick were shorter and further between. Even the E-mails weren't as long. I heard that he had found a new girlfriend, one that lived in Florida. I knew that it wasn't going to last forever, my relationship with Nick, although I had hoped it would. One day, I slipped the ring Nick had given me off my finger and sealed it in an envelope. After storing the envelope on the bottom of my jewelry box, it felt as if I had cut all ties from that relationship and was ready to start a new one once I got into college. I was ready to move on with my life.
Onto the Epilogue
