Finding Me Again Read Free Page A

father was arrested and my mom and I had to put together the pieces of our broken family.
    That was the reason I ultimately had to break things off. I couldn’t ask Hadley to shoulder anything else. When it was clear that something was wrong with me, I had to bow out. I had to go my own way so Hadley could pursue her dream of going to art school and make something of herself. It was time for her to live her life, not be saddled to someone needy like me.
    “Tripp?” Mom bangs on my door, interrupting my thoughts.
    “Yeah?” I say without lifting my head from the pillow.
    “Just wanted to see if you’re up. It’s time to take your medicine.”
    I cringe at the words she speaks through the closed door. When she talks to me like this I feel like a baby. Another reminder of why I’m glad I left Hadley out of this. “Yeah. I’ll be out in a minute.”
    “I can bring it to you if you want,” she offers.
    I want to tell her no, to insist on getting up myself. But the truth is, just the idea of getting out of bed and marching out to the kitchen feels like a difficult feat right now. I groan, realizing it’s going to be one of those days. Some days are better than others, and I never know until morning what kind of day it will be for me. “Yeah, that would be great. Thanks.” I stare up at the ceiling as I listen to Mom’s feet shuffle across the carpet.
    When my door pops open a minute later, Mom enters wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. A few strands fall and wisp around her cheeks. She carries a cup of water in her hand and one of my pills in the other. Her forehead scrunches up in a look of concern. I hate that look. I hate that she worries about me. All Mom has done her whole life is worry about others. What I need to do is get a job, get a life , and move out on my own. That way Mom can finally be free.
    I hold out my palm and Mom drops the pill into it. Then she hands me the water. I mumble a thank you before struggling to sit up. Mom watches me quietly , and her expression cuts to my heart. As I swallow down the pill, I vow to be strong for her. Moving back here may be hard for me, but I need to make the most of it for Mom. It’s time for both of us to get our lives back.

Five
    Hadley
     
    “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Paige links arms with me as we exit the movie theatre.
    I raise an eyebrow. “Pai ge, it was two hours of people getting their heads getting blown off.”
    “Awesome, right?” She grins.
    I just roll my eyes. “Well, it did beat a sappy romance.”
    Paige nudges me in the side. “One of these days you’re going to have to let him go and move on with your life.”
    A couple saunters past us, their hands linked as if they are joined together like a puzzle piece. My heart lurches at the sight.
    “Who?” I ask, pretending I don’t know.
    “Oh, come on, Hads. You know I’m talking about Tripp.”
    Just hearing his name causes a visceral reaction in me , and I shiver. “I’m over him. That was like a million years ago.”
    “And you haven’t been the same since,” Paige says. “You haven’t been in a serious relationship, and you don’t like the same things you used to like. You’re just not yourself.”
    I scoff at her words. A group of rowdy teenagers bursts past us, racing down the sidewalk while noisily talking over one another. After they pass we fall in step again. “Maybe I just haven’t met the right guy, and my tastes are changing because I’m getting older. Ever thought of that?”
    “That’s bullshit, and you know it.” Paige pulls me down the busy sidewalk, still holding my arm. “Look, I get it. I know you and Tripp had something special. It’s just that I want you to be happy, and pining for a guy who broke up with you three years ago isn’t the way to do it.”
    I press my lips together, mulling over her words. The sky is still bright even though it’s late, and warm air blows over my shoulders and across my