I reached under my bed and brought out my pellet gun (yeah, we'd graduated from sling shots ages ago) The soft plastic pellets don't smash glass or anything but they did cause enough of a noise to let the other person know.
I aimed and hit first time. I smiled. I'm such a shit hot shot. Like that chick from the Westerns, I forget her name, but for a second I imagined myself as a gun slinging out-law bandit. Or Lara Croft, jungle ruin bashing with a gun. There was something very appealing about that thought.
I saw his hand creep round the curtain, a face soon followed. I waved at him and wrote something on a piece of paper before sticking it up against the window.
"You okay?"
I saw him reach for the binoculars, (we have this long distance communication thing covered!) He pulled away, presumably writing.
"Shit day."
"Sorry."
"Feet hurt."
":("
"Tired. Bed. Bye. "
We waved at each other and closed the curtains. I felt bad for him, this divorce must be hectic. I tried to imagine what it would feel like if my parents got divorced, and then an idea hit me. I went over to my computer and Googled.
How to help a friend cope with divorce.
Crap tons of stuff jumped onto my screen and I started reading through it. I must have read for about an hour when an email notification caught my attention.
Subject: Crappy day.
Message: So I have this idea. It goes something like this, I'm having the worst day, and I suspect you can help make it better.
Mike X
From: [email protected]
Subject: Interesting
Message: And how can I make it better?
Subject: As easy as , ,
Message: Well...
, you tell me who you are.
I drive over there right now
, we pick up where we left off.
Mike XX
From: [email protected]
Subject:
Message: , or we could just talk
Your mystery kisser XXX
There was a really long wait and I slid my chair back and surreptitiously looked out my window to see what Mike was doing, from here I could just see the top of his shoulder and it looked like he was sitting at his computer. The movement of his shoulder told me that he was typing. And so I waited, for what felt like forever.
Subject: it is then.
Message: I'll take it. So...My parents are getting divorced and I just found out my dad has been cheating on my mom and now we are moving house. I came home today from school and there was some self tanned estate agent there called Pam who was picking at our house like a vulture. And my mother is an emotional wreck. She broke down today crying and told me everything; that my dad has been cheating, that she didn't want to get divorced. She's been crying all day, she's crying now, she just doesn't think I can hear her, but I can.
And I screamed at her for the first time ever today and I feel terrible, and shitty and selfish. Like a bad son, and I want to be there for her, but I don't know how to. And I want someone to be there for me, but it doesn't feel like anyone is. I feel so lame, I'm and I feel like a kid that just wants his mom to hug him and make him feel better, but she cant. And I hate my dad right now and never want to see him again. Or I want to punch him. (FUCK, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M TELLING YOU ALL THIS) What's wrong with me?
Mike XXXX
WTF?
I read it at least three more times to make sure I was seeing correctly. Mr. Matthews was cheating. Mr. Matthews, old Mr. Matthews, Mike's dad was having sex with someone else other than Mrs. Mathews.
I couldn't type for a moment as I imagine how that was even possible. It's hard enough to imagine your parents having sex with each other, let alone with other people.
And Mike was moving- now! As in, an estate agent was at their house, today!
The news hit me so hard in the gut that I felt sick and wanted to jump out my window and run over to his house immediately. I didn't want him to move.
Mike wasn't the only one having a bad day today, so was I. God, I feel like a selfish cow for even thinking that.
My primary thought should be trying to be there for Mike and helping him through this. I wished I could take the pain away. I re read his last sentence ten times, and each time a part of my heart broke for him. Nothing was wrong with him.
And then I lied again. Does the end really justify the means? This would be the second time I'd lied to Mike in the last week and in ten years I'd never lied to him. Well, there was that omission I guess which some might say could be construed as a lie. But this was different. It was so blatant.
Google Search: What it feels like when your parents get divorced?
From: [email protected]
Subject: In the same boat
Message: There's nothing wrong with you! My parents also got divorce. Two years ago. I was also really angry, with both of them. And I lashed out a lot, it's normal to do that. And trust me, your mom understands, even if she's wrapped up in her own grief right now, she understands- she knows you didn't really mean it.
No one cheated or anything, but it wasn't the most amicable split you could say. So I know how you feel right now. And I promise it does get better, it may not seem
