Like Yesterday

“I’m sorry Garrett.” A voice came from Sandy through her tears. “No Sandy I’m sorry. I yelled at you for no reason. There was nothing you could have done any way.” They sat in a waiting room at Providence General Hospital where they waited on a doctor to come and fill them in on their mother. Garrett felt helpless; he put his head in his hands until he heard the door open and he looked toward it, what he saw was a familiar face he wasn’t expecting. “Garrett Blake” the man said “Doctor Thomas.” Garret sighed; Doctor Thomas was his father’s doctor and one of his fathers’ closest friends. “Why are you here and not in Boston? Please don’t tell me bad news.” Garrett said as he sat down. The Doctor looked past him to Sandy. “I transferred. Sandy you have grown a foot since I saw you last.” “Get to the point Doc. How is she?” Garrett looked him straight in the eyes. The doctor shrugged. “What do you want me to say Garrett? The woman just swallowed half a bottle of pain pills. She is alive but what is she going to do next week. I thought for sure when you said that you where moving here and getting away from that house and town that she would get better. How long has this been going on?” “Since the day we left, on the day we got her. It never stopped.” Garrett looked up at him, he could see the pity in his eyes, and Garrett had to look away. “I want to keep her here. There is only so much you can do at home. It was only luck that you got her here in time.” Doctor Thomas shook his head. “If there is anything you need please come to me.” “What do you want us to do? She can stay here, but what will the out come be?” Garrett already knew the answer. “She doesn’t want to live Garrett. I can’t make her.” “Do what you can.” Garrett was talking through his hands. The best place for his mother right now was the hospital and he knew that. The doctor patted him on the back and walked away, but turned around at the end of the hall. “Oh by the way, nice get up Garrett,” At first Garrett didn’t know what he was talking about but then he realized what he was wearing. In a panic he looked at his watch it was 10:30 the dance was over and he didn’t even call Aaliah to tell her what was happening. He stood up the girl that he was trying to convince that he was a good and honest guy and now she was going to think that he stood her up. He checked his pockets for his cell phone when he couldn’t find it he ran to the phone in the waiting room. He called at least three times with no answer. “She hates me.” He said to himself what a night this turned out to be. He walked and sat in the seat next to Sandy. She crawled up in his lap and fell asleep. ***** Aaliah heard the phone ring, but she didn’t even want to move. She still laid there with her dress on fighting the tears trying not to think. She didn’t know how she got to her room. She knew she would have to get up eventually but taking off the dress would feel like defeat. The third time the phone rang she finally answered it. “Hello” Aaliah said through a voice that was trying to sound bored but came out teary. “Aaliah, where were you? The dance was over thirty minutes ago and you or Garrett never showed up. What happened?” “He stood me up.” Trying again to make her voice sound bored rather then heart broken, but once again she failed. “What do you mean he stood you up? I am sorry, Aaliah. Guys are such jerks sometimes.” Hearing Mya sound angry made Aaliah feel a little better. “Yeah they can. I figured that it was just a joke him and his friends came up with. ‘Ask the nerdy ugly girl and stand her up. It will be fun’.” Aaliah tried to laugh but the first tears welled up in her eyes. “Aaliah you’re not,” “Save it Mya, I need to go. I’m tired. See you later.” Aaliah hung the phone up and rolled over; she started to cry and then got mad at herself for crying. She knew from the beginning it was too good to be true, but he just seemed so excited to take her and he seemed so nice that she believed him. She rolled over and cried until she fell asleep. She heard her mother peek her head in and check on her, but she never fully woke up. She didn’t hear the phone ring again, and for that she was thankful. The next day Aaliah had to work a double shift. On Saturdays especially after dances, no one came in. She tried really hard to act normal when she first came in. She smiled at Joe, put on her apron, and started refilling all of the ketchup bottles. But, as the day went on she was losing focus and started thinking about Garrett. Now she was wiping the same two foot section of table absent mindedly. “Aaliah telephone,” Joe yelled breaking her daze. Aaliah went a grab it from him. He started talking before she even said hello. “Aaliah, it’s me Garrett. Listen I know you are mad at me, but please let me explain. When do you get off work?” Aaliah stood there. The hope she thought was lost was coming to the surface again and she tried with all of her might the shake it off. “Um… I’m not sure… late, besides I’m sure you have better things to do.” Aaliah was having trouble shaking off the hope, but she was determined not to let her guard down. “Aaliah please, let me explain.” “Why can’t you do it over the phone?” “I just can’t.” “Why?” “Because” “Oh will someone hear you maybe, someone important to you, Garrett I don’t need your lame excuses. Just leave me alone.” Aaliah said as she hung up the phone. “Guys,” Joe said while looking at Aaliah. “I hate them.” Aaliah said as she got up and started cleaning again. Aaliah was packing up to leave, she worked a twelve hour shift today, and all she wanted to do was go home and try to wash off the layers of grease that were caked on her skin. She told Joe goodbye and headed to her car. “Aaliah!” a voice came behind her. She turned around and Garrett was running toward her. “Aaliah, please listen to me.” Aaliah stood there as Garrett came closer. “Garrett what are you doing here?” she asked. “Aaliah I have to explain about last night, but I don’t know how you will take it.” “Well I think I can guess.” She said. Garrett gave her a strange look. “What do you mean you could guess?” “I think you tricked me. I think that you didn’t want to go to the dance with me at all.” Aaliah was thrown off by the look on his face. “What… trick you, why would I do that?” He looked hurt. This really made Aaliah second guess herself. Garrett was looking at her with hurt and sorrow. Aaliah didn’t understand. “Well, what else would it be, let’s trick the weird, ugly, nerdy girl?” Garrett shook his head. “Aaliah, that is totally not it. You’re… beautiful to me. I don’t see you as ugly at all.” Garrett grabbed her hand. Aaliah almost fell over with those words. She could feel her guard losing hold. She tried her hardest to get it back up but she could tell that it was close to collapsing. She looked down at him holding her hand. “Then why did you stand me up? Every time I would call your cell no one would answer. What else would I think Garrett?” “No, Aaliah you don’t understand. I don’t know how to explain it to you. I really wanted to see you, but, please don’t think I am psycho or something. Promise me.” He put out his pinky finger, Aaliah looked at him funny, “Sorry, me and my sister do this all the time, its called pinky promising.” Aaliah stared at his pinky and then put hers in his. The anger disappeared totally from her mind at the sight of his smile. He kept her pinky in his, and looked into her eyes. “Well, my mother, ever since my dad died she hasn’t been the same. She cries, screams, and breaks things. She has tried to kill herself so many times. That is why I’m not at school every other day. Because, I stay home one day and Sandy stays home the next. Last night while I was getting dressed Sandy was suppose to be watching her but she fell asleep. My mother took thirty pain pills. It almost killed her but the doctors got her back. She is still in the hospital and she won’t get out