Moving on Up

Things have been moving slowly for me. It’s like I’m underwater but no one else around me is so they’re all talking and moving like normal while I’m struggling to breathe.

I miss him.

Adam's Big Move

I was sitting on Heather’s couch and we had been arguing for nearly an hour. I was so over this conversation. To me, the decision had been made but she wanted to make sure I was making it for the “right” reasons.

“Adam, you’ve been wavering on moving back here for months and suddenly Molly calls you and tells you Faith needs you and all of a sudden you change your tune? Do you honestly expect me to believe that it has nothing to do with her?” Heather was standing with her hands on her hips, seemingly to take a break from pacing across the living room.

I sighed.

Guess Who's Back, Back Again

“Molly, go away.” I groaned.

The banging on my front door woke me up and I didn’t have the energy to face Molly on the other side. All of my friends looked at me with so much pity and kept insisting that I move on with my life. I just didn’t want to deal with it anymore, so I locked my door, buried my head under my pillow and ignored the world for a few days.

My time was up, though, because, sure enough, Molly showed up and started banging on my door.

Her banging went on for ten minutes before I finally got angry enough to drag myself out of bed.

“I said go AWA-”

Lost Girls

“I’m not sure what to do anymore.” I said, “Faith barley eats, she only leaves the house unless it’s to go to work. Whenever I go over there she’s just laying down staring at the wall.”

“We need to do something.” Zoey said, “She’s been like this for almost a month.”

“Can you blame her though?” Penny asked.

The three of us were sitting in my living room. I had invited Penny and Zoey over to figure out how we could help Faith.

End of The Road

“Who the HELL allowed this to happen!?”

Maggie was yelling at Tony and all of Mike’s friends in the burn unit’s waiting room. She was absolutely distraught and taking it out on everyone around her. It got to the point where the hospital staff threatened to call security unless she left Mike’s room until she calmed down. Incidentally, calming down was the opposite of what she was doing in the waiting room.

Living Nightmare

I hit the sidewalk after my meeting and took out my phone. I had three missed calls from a number I didn’t know. As I stared at my phone in confusion another call came through from the same number.

“Hello?”

Hard Day's Night

They were all staring at me and I felt the walls close in. If there had been walls, that is. Everywhere I looked someone was watching, waiting. The longer it went on the worse it got. I looked down and saw Mike. He was bleeding and I was holding a bloody knife.

Round Table Revelations

“He was going to propose?” Zoey asked.

We were eating dinner at our favorite place: a diner that specialized in great cheeseburgers, cold shakes, and crisp fries.

“Yeah.” I said dipping a fry in ketchup.

“No offense, Faith,” Penny said, “but you don’t seem very happy about…well…any of the situation at all.”

Happy Fucking Holidays

Mike and I trudged up the snowy stoop to Maggie’s house. I was carrying several gifts for Grant and Annabelle and had gifts for Claire, Sarah, Maggie, and Jamie in a bag slung over my shoulder. Mike was holding a dish of my stuffed mushrooms and a couple bottles of wine.

I chose my outfit very carefully for the night. It was a black dress with long black sleeves and a conservative neckline. It went to just above my knee and I was wearing thick black tights and black shoes. Mike had commented that I looked like I was going to a funeral so I threw on some Christmas ball ornament earrings, put a gift bow in my hair, and changed my shoes out for some shiny red pumps that matched the earrings and bow.

Maggie greeted us at the door.

Thanksgiving Fables

I sat in the airport terminal twitching my foot nervously. Mike and I were waiting for my dad to pick us up. Mike could tell I was nervous about this trip and was trying to distract me.

Halloween, Birthdays, and Obligations

“Faith.” Maggie said stiffly when she answered the door.

“Maggie, it’s great to see you.” I said cordially.

“No need to lie.” She tittered.

Her tone was a joking tone but her eyes told me she meant it. Mike laughed and I joined in half-heartedly as we walked over the threshold to Mike’s dad’s house.

True Friends

I walked into our conference room and immediately knew something was up. Hazel was sitting at the head of the table and she never came to our weekly meetings for the Glass Penny. Hazel may have recruited all of us to join this theatre but up until now she’d been very hands off (aside from providing a significant investment to the establishment of this theatre and ongoing production checks). I smiled at her and took a seat next to Zeke as we waited for the others to trickle in.

When Molly arrived she sat across the table from me and I gave her a weak smile. She responded by looking at Hazel. I don’t blame Molly for being cold to me. After the way we left things, I can understand having a cooling off period. It sucks but she’s entitled to her feelings about our friendship as much as I am. I’ve been an asshole, we both have. We need some space and I get it.

Ashley and Riley walked in with coffee, followed by Nick. They settled in and Hazel cleared her throat. In front of her was an office binder. She flipped it open.

Real Talk

“I just need some time, Faith.”

“Well, time is up. You’ve had almost a week. Plus, I need to talk to you.”

He stepped aside from the door and I walked into Mike’s apartment with a new fire in me.

Damage Control

Molly is officially gone. Our apartment feels so empty without her and I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to do. Our lease is up next month and I’m pretty sure I won’t renew it, which means I have a month to find a new apartment in my price range and then actually move into it. I also have to budget in buying a ton of new furniture since virtually all of our furniture was Molly’s due to mine being destroyed in the fire.

Terrible Tell-All

The day after Molly’s announcement, I decided to call Mike.

“I miss you.” I winced at how pathetic that sounded, “And I don’t really know what else to say.”

“I miss you, too.” Mike said.

His voice was soft.

“Do you want to come over and talk?” He asked.

“I would love that.”