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Drew

Ivalue individuality more than emotion. People say you’re

a complete person once you find your other half, but I don’t need my other half. I’m complete on my own, and I am certainly not looking for completion from an external source, especially not an external person.

Ever since my dad left, it’s been me and my mom against the world. She was the only person who stayed consistent in my life. Consequently, we became super close, almost trauma-bonded from years of trying to fill the gaps my dad left. I used to think my parents had the most picture-perfect romance. Childhood sweethearts; they were the playbook for how to fall in love for the first and last time simultaneously.

I should have known that love doesn’t work like that. Love doesn’t stay long enough to give you a happy ending, it stays long enough to give you hope for one.

******

“Oh, Drewsy! I forgot to tell you that I invited the Loveums over for dinner next Friday. You remember their daughter, Laine, right? She went to school with you a long time ago.” My mom interrupts my thoughts as we take the long trek back from our weekly Sunday dinners with my grandparents, who unfortunately live out in the sticks of Georgia and refuse to drive to us.

I give her a lazy nod. The drive is long and dull, so I’m not exactly in the mood to hear about another socialization event. Staring out of the window at the never-ending fields of barley growing on the side of the road, I try to rack my brain for who Laine Loveum is and why in the world her family would be coming to our house for dinner. Her name sounds familiar, but I just can’t quite pinpoint who she is. Finally, I equate my failure to retrieve this deeply lodged memory from my brain to the drowsiness and give in.

“I very vaguely remember that name. Why are they coming over? And how do we know them?” I ask, forcing myself to listen after being checked out for over half of the one-hour drive already.

“Well, we used to be family friends with the Loveums. We got together way back when you and Laine were in elementary, but they moved to California, and now they’ve moved back. We spent a lot of time together back then, Drew. I’m surprised this isn’t ringing more of a bell for you.”

“You know I have a bad memory! And bad facial recognition skills!”

“Ha ha okay, just promise me you will be home and dressed nicely when they come over.” Mom pulls into the garage and reaches for the door. “And at least pretend to remember them, okay?”

“Yeah yeah okay.” I smile and playfully smack her arm before unloading from the car.

I grab the leftovers from dinner and bring them inside the house. My cat, Glibby, greets me at the door, headbutting my calves for my attention. She meows as I reach down to pet her head, then I make a beeline for the kitchen. A message pops up on my phone as soon as I reach the fridge. I glance down at my lit screen andsee a notification from my best friend, Tatum.

Tatum and I have been friends since third grade. We’ve done everything together and seen each other through our best and worst phases. My favorite of hers was her Ariana Grande phase. She had saved up all her money, bought every perfume Ariana released, and changed her ringtone to a different song from the latest album daily. I think that was Tatum’s prime.

Tatum and I were also supposed to hang out with the friend group this Friday.

Tatum

9:24 pm

heyyyy drewwww

could you pick up some bags of ice for friday please? jared’s got like one bag left and his parents are probably using it for their champagne tonight

Shit.

Me

9:25 pm

soooo slight problem about that…

my mom’s having this family over for dinner that i guess we used to know

i think she said they lived here in georgia for a while then moved to cali

and now they’re back and feasting with us on friday honestly i don’t get why they couldn’t have installed their kitchen first and now busting on our night

Tatum

9:27 pm