Page 16 of Don't Leave Me Behind
Pepper giggles before hanging up to head to her first shift at her new summer job. She’s always doing crazy stuff to supplement her income during the summer months. While I tend to come home and mooch off my parents and brothers, Pepper finds the zaniest odd jobs to keep her busy and the rent paid. This year, she’s working at a new tiki bar. Complete with a coconut bra and hula skirt uniform.
“I mean it,” Miya uses her doctor voice on me before she lets me hang up the call. “At least think about it, Leni. Maybe it’s time you two talked about what happened. Abouteverythingthat happened.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I mumble, dropping my eyes like a chastised child.
“Babe, you need to tell him. You need to tellthem.”
“I can’t even tell them I’m here, Mimi. How would that go, exactly? Hello family, it’s me. Remember when you told me I was too immature and irresponsible to leave and that I should stay on the ranch because I wouldn’t make it in the city? Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. Also, I wasn’t really mugged all those years ago. I lied about that so you wouldn’t go all maximum security on me, but whoops, you all did that anyway.”
Miya sighs; she’d pat my cheek if she were here right now. A trait she picked up from her mom. “You need to work through it, Leni. They went all lockdown crazy on you because you got hurt...because they care.”
“It was so disproportionate to what they thought happened, though. I wasn’t a kid, Mimi, and I’m not a kid now.”
“Would it have been disproportionate if you’d told them the truth?”
Her work phone pings, saving me from having to tell my childhood best friend to fuck right off.
“Think about it.” She blows me a kiss, then ends the video chat.
“Sure.” I roll my eyes. “I’ll think about it.”
Everyone But Leni and Clay Group Chat
Mercer
Ok. I need help
Ethan
No
Mercer
You don’t even know what I need help with
Ethan
The chat name kind of gives it away
Mercer
Ok but come on.
THEY ARE MADE FOR EACH OTHER
Ma
I happen to agree with you dear but some things are best left to themselves.
Mercer
They don’t even talk to each otherthough
Adler
I really think it’s time to just move on bro.
Toby
