Magnolia

My bedroom window was directly across from Yasmin's. We had spent years thinking it was the best thing ever. We'd open the windows and yell across at each other if I wasn't allowed to go out and play. It was how we stayed connected. It had been awhile since we'd communicated that way, though. Since we had cell phones, at least. But now I needed her and I had no access to my phone.

   I opened my window and tossed a used lip chap at her window. Somehow I was able to hit the window. It was Sunday morning, and the last twenty four hours had felt like a blur. I'd left Presley on car Friday night with the heaviest heart. I didn't know what would happen. Now I just wanted to let him know I was okay. Well, sort of okay. I'd been yelled at for thirty minutes. I'd been grounded and had my phone taken away. My mother even threatened to track it, when she did give it back. It was bad. But I didn't expect anything less.

   No one came to Yasmin's window, so I found another item - a hair clip with a metal piece - and threw that. A minute later I saw her, my best friend. Smiling so big that it looked creepy. She had called and then came over, the day before. But my dad told her to go away. He told her that I wasn't allowed to see her.

    Now, Yasmin shoved her window open. "Girl!"

   "Hi," I called out. "I'm alive."

   "I'm so glad," Yasmin laughed. "Your dad had me thinking maybe that wasn't true."

   "God. Back in jail. And no phone."

   "I figured," she said then her expression changed. "Was it worth it?"

   I almost yelled "yes!", because being with Presley at Jakob's was amazing. Perfect. Until it wasn't.

   I shrugged at Yasmin and before I could answer, I heard my dad's loud voice from downstairs. "Shut that window!"

   I didn't want to risk more punishment so I gave Yasmin a look and slammed my window closed. She threw her hands in the air, questioning me. I held up a finger, telling her to wait, then ran across my room to get paper and a pen. I wrote:

   Call Presley? 555 4655 tell him I'm ok?? Please.

   Then I smashed the paper up against the window for her to read. That was when I realized it would be backwards to her. She looked confused but threw me a thumbs up anyway. I watched as she put the number in her phone and then she waved. I waved back and gave her a heart with my hands. There was nothing else I could do.

   I had homework. I had a test to study for. I knew that was what I was supposed to be doing. I knew it because it was the only words my dad had said to me that day. My mother had made lunch and called me down to eat. I picked at the bacon and tomato sandwich and drank a little bit of milk, while she carefully watched me. I felt like a prisoner.

   Back in my bedroom, I studied for an hour, made myself a practise test and re-did it twice. More than anything I wanted to talk to Presley, but that seemed like a distant memory all of a sudden. I had been through this before, being in trouble and not allowed out of the house. That was that summer, when I'd gone to a party. But this time I lost even more - I lost Presley.

   I knew him and I knew he was likely upset right now. Hoping that Yas had called him was all I could do. I couldn't wait to get to school the next day and talk to her, since I hadn't been allowed to see her for the past two days. Before I went to sleep, I went over to my window and looked over at Yasmin's bedroom. Her light was off and I couldn't see much, so I went to bed feeling sad and alone.

   Finally, it was Monday. After what felt like the longest weekend ever, I was ready to get out of that house. After I took a quick shower and got dressed, packed up my school bag and went into the kitchen, I realized my mother was home. She should have been back on days. She shouldn't have been there. My heart dropped to my knees.

   Walking on eggshells, I crossed the kitchen to get an apple from the fridge. As I spun around to go out the front door, my mother appeared from the front room.

   "You can go get into my car," she said, but it didn't sound like a suggestion. It was a demand.

   "But... why?" I asked anyway, knowing it would annoy her.

   "I'm taking you to school." She said this like it was so obvious. I hadn't considered this.

   "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" I wanted to know.

   "I took a day. I need to make sure you're back on the right track, and-"

   "I'm seventeen!" I yelled, without thinking. Taking a step back, I adjusted my shirt and looked down at my feet.

   "You obviously can't be trusted." She was so serious, and it just enraged me even more.

   "I didn't do anything wrong," I spat out. Obviously I was in the mood for a fight.

   "You lied. You were not where you said you'd be. You could have been anywhere." She still seemed mad, but maybe - a tiny bit - worried, too?

   "I was with Yasmin. It wasn't like I..." I bit my bottom lip and stopped talking then, but she wasn't done.

   "I'm taking you to school. I'll be there at the end of the day, too."

   "I'm not in elementary school, Mom. I can walk," I told her, shaking my head.

   She ignored this. "Go get in the car."

   "What about my phone?" I asked, staring at her.

   "We decided you don't need it. At least not for a few days. It will be good for you to be in the real world for a bit." Now, she forced a smile. I almost screamed.

   "Like a prisoner," I snapped, instead.

   "You're being dramatic. You broke the rules. That requires punishment. Punishment is no phone." Was she a robot?

  "Fine, whatever," I finished, and spun around to go outside.

   The cool morning air hit me in the face as I wasn't expecting it. It was a dreary day, much like my mood. She wasn't going to give me my phone back. I had to go to school and go right home. But at least I could talk to Yasmin.

   I slipped out of my mother's car in the back parking lot - right where I'd met Presley - without saying a word. It was about ten minutes before first bell so I went right to Yasmin's locker instead of my own. I'd rather carry around my bag and books all day than not see her before class. Thankfully, she was there. Jakob was with her, his tall frame hovering over her. He really looked at her like he cared about it, which I liked. Yasmin was wearing a blue sweater and leggings and her hair was down, and when she saw me coming down the hallway she ran towards me.

   "Ahhh!" she yelled, pulling me into a hug. "It's so good to see you."

   "I know. Who would have thought I'd want to be at school more than anything?" I said, then smiled at her as she pulled away.

   "Are you okay?" she wanted to know.

   "I'm fine. Just angry. My parents don't know about Presley, so that is a bonus at this point. But they are this mad about me lying... anyway, did you talk to him?" I adjusted my back over my shoulder and followed as she started walking back over to Jakob.

   "Yeah. Uh, I just told him you're grounded and don't have your phone. I told him to wait... and you'll call him when you can?"

   That made me feel a tiny bit better, except for the fact that I still didn't have my phone. "Thanks, Yas. My mom said they aren't giving my phone back yet."

   "Oh my god," Yasmin sighed dramatically.

   "I know. Can you text him later, for me?"

   "Of course. Hey, why don't you try calling him at lunch, from my phone?" she suggested, as the first bell rang.

   We had to get down to our homeroom, but now she was hugging Jakob and all I could think about was why I hadn't thought to use her phone to call him.

   My morning classes dragged on and when it was finally lunch, I'd never been happier to see my best friend. She slipped in beside me at our regular table and dropped her phone onto the table. I was nervous suddenly, not knowing if he would answer or if he even had lunch at the same time as I did.

   Yasmin saw me staring at the phone.

   "You can leave a message, if he doesn't answer," she said, as if reading my mind. "At least he'll get to hear your voice."

   "Yeah..." I said, finally picking it up.

   I found his number saved in her contacts and pressed it, my heart beating fast. I wanted him to answer, but I also didn't know what I'd say if he did.

   It rang five times before clicking over to his voicemail.

   Hey it's Presley. I'm probably at school or busying making music, so leave a message if you want to.

   Oh my god, his voice. I missed him so much that I immediately got tears in my eyes. I heard the beep and just sat there for a minute before saying anything.

   "Hi. It's Magnolia. I'm calling you from Yasmin's phone. We are on our lunch. Um, I was hoping to talk to you, but... yeah... so I won't have my phone for a few days... I'll try to call again, I guess. I miss you. I'm sorry about Friday."

    When I ended the call and slid the phone back over to Yas, I couldn't hide that I was crying. She wrapped her arms around me right away and squeezed, holding me right there in the school cafeteria for as long as I needed.