"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."
― C. S. Lewis

bade

"So do you want to try at it again?" Bree asked me that Saturday morning. We sat in a booth at a diner.

She looked like she'd been crying, or she may have been hungover. Her hair was pretty messy and tangled looking. I wanted to ask what was up with her zombie bride look. But decided against it.

"Try again at what? Our relationship?" I questioned, taking a sip of my coffee. I was feeling a little under the weather, and I really wanted to see where Solaris had gone.

All Lars told me was, "She left man. She didn't tell me to tell you anything. I'm sorry..."

She just disappeared.

Bree shifted around in the booth uncomfortably. She nodded. "Yeah...I don't think I gave you a chance. I jumped to conclusions, and I thought you hadn't given a crap about our relationship...I was wrong." She touched my hand.

I'd been messing with the silverware on the table. "Do you want to give it another shot?" She said to me, with a hint of desperation.

"But you told me I changed. What if I really have changed?" I murmured looking out the window.

Today was sunny, and lot brighter than I actually felt. Solaris just had to up and leave, did she?

Why?

"Bade, I was being stupid and controlling. I'm able to accept you for who you are now." Bree smiled warmly, and gave my hand a small squeeze.

I frowned, and shook my head. I stood up from the booth, and threw some money down on the table. "I gotta go. I need to think."

She looked at me with surprise and nodded her head slowly. "Okay, sure."

(

I walked to Warner High's track, which was where the football field was.

Due to school being let out in time for summer, nobody was at school except for the custodians, and anybody else who was supposed to maintain the school.

I sat down on the track, and didn't do anything.

I just sat there, and after about a minute. I thought back to when my interest was towards track, and when it meant the absolute world to me.

The medals I received was something I once cherished and gave to my dad, but now the medals were just things. Things I didn't really hold dear to me. Another buddy of mine, David Jones could be the school's only track star.

I needed to do something else. Something worth doing.

What was it?

I didn't know.

(

I sat at the counter, chewing on the roast my step mom Jane cooked.

My shift at Cy's would be starting in an hour.

"Bade, where were you all night?" Bridgette asked me. She grabbed another piece of steak from the pan that sat on counter between us.

"I was at Lars."

She looked as if she was expecting this answer. "Did you guys see the fireworks down by the park?"

"Yeah, I was there actually."

Bridgette looked as though she were confused. She pointed at me. "I didn't see you. I'd watched the fireworks with Cyan and Serena. We were at the park, where the picnic tables are."

I didn't want to tell her I'd been with Solaris.

"Oh, that's weird," I replied, trying to come off as genuinely perplexed.

Bridgette looked at the book she'd been reading.

"Bade, I want to ask you something."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Do you think Mom has forgotten about us?"

I set down the eating utensils and gave my sister a serious look.

"I don't know..."

Bridgette nodded. "Why do you think she left us?"

"I don't know why she left without saying goodbye."

I wasn't talking about Mom.

(

"Would you like a refill on your ice tea?" I asked the customer I was waiting on. He didn't appear to be the happiest person on Earth.

If you asked me. He looked pissed.

The tightening and untightening of fist.

The gruff and curt responses.

The abrupt curse words he'd murmur to himself; Cursing a woman out of her name for leaving him.

He looked up at me and nodded, not saying a word.

I poured him the ice tea..

"Young man, can I have a slice of cherry pie? It's in today's specials, right?" He suddenly said.

I nodded.

After giving the cook Oliver the order, I refilled other people's empty drinks, and just went through the motions.

Eventually, I served the man his cherry pie. Who took it gratefully.

"Young man, don't ever have a woman leave you, the way my woman left me."

I was pouring some more ice tea into the man's cup when he told me this.

I didn't respond.

He continued on anyway.

"She left without saying goodbye. She even took her daughter...but it's not like she was my real daughter anyway...she had an odd name."

He pushed his plate forward on the table. "Do I pay at the front?"

"Yeah, you do."

He smiled, and presented to me a couple of dollar bills. "Here's your tip."

He got up from the booth he sat in, and as he walked over to pay for his overall meal, I thought about the advice he gave me, "Don't ever have a woman leave you..."

Solaris left without saying a word to me, but that didn't mean I was going to mope around and tell myself she's stupid or mean for doing so. It wasn't like things were written in stone for me and her.

"Bade, the evening crowd's about gone. How about doing the dishes?" Christiana, who was one of the cooks told me behind the counter.

I nodded with a smile that was more or less happy, and walked to the kitchen.

(

When I returned home at around 9:00 pm, I decided to call Bree.

As the phone rang, I sat down on the stool next to the counter.

Bree picked up. "Hi Bade," she said over the phone. "What are you doing calling me at this hour?"

"I guess we can try to make it work again."

She didn't say anything immediately; the line was silent. After a couple beats she did. "Okay. Do you want to meet somewhere tomorrow?"

"Yeah, uh, sure. You want to go to Hudson Lake? There's going to be a picnic over there, and a band's going to be playing."

"I don't want to go there."

What was I thinking. Picnics were lame.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. What about I come over to your house?"

"No. My brother Mike and his immature friends are coming over."

"The mall?"

"My mom hasn't given me my allowance yet."

I didn't have any more suggestions.

(

A/N: PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE, COMMENT, OR FOLLOW.

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5 Questions:

☼ Do you think Bade should've gotten back together with his ex Bree?

☼ How do you think Bade really feels about Solaris unexpectedly leaving?

☼ Do you think Solaris will come back?

☼ Do you think Solaris had genuine feelings for Bade?

☼ Who was the bitter man talking about a woman leaving him?

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A/N: Don't forget to check out our two COMPLETED stories: