Restart

"What do you want from me when I just wanna restart
You keep coming back for me when you're the one who tore us apart
And the truth is I'm better on my own
And I'm the one to leave it apart
So let me restart
So let me restart
So let me restart" Restart by Sam Smith

Friday evening, I headed to Lewisville for Darren's homecoming game. The next week would be my last week rehabbing with Darren. I knew I would still be following his football career regardless, but it was still a little bittersweet. I walked into the stands and immediately saw Rachel and Blake sitting in our normal section. I waved and made my way over.

"Hey. How's it going?" I greeted both of them with a hug.

I sat down beside Blake and caught up with Rachel before I turned to him.

"So, you're a high school football fan now?" I asked him with a smile.

"Of course. I played football in high school." Blake winked at me.

"I thought you played soccer?" Rachel asked.

"Soccer was my sport, but it's Texas. I played football too." Blake clarified.

"What position?" Rachel asked.

"Kicker?" I asked, at the same time he answered "Kicker."

Rachel laughed. "So that was a dumb question."

I laughed too. "I have another dumb question.." I began, looking at the students. They were wearing huge ass decorations that included flowers, streamers and ribbons. A few had teddy bears in them. The girls had them pinned on their clothes or hanging around their neck if they were massive; the boys had theirs on arm bands like garters. The majority were in school colors; some were white and silver. I pointed them out. "What are those?"

"You've never seen a mum before?" Blake asked me, shocked.

"No. Is it a homecoming thing?" I asked.

"It's the homecoming thing. You give them to your girlfriend or boyfriend the day of the game. The bigger and gaudier they are, the more that person loves you." Rachel said.

"You should have seen mine senior year. All white and it lit up and everything in the middle." Blake bragged.

"And what did your girlfriend's look like?" I asked him.

"Um, whatever my mom picked out... I don't even remember." He shrugged.

I shook my head at him.

The game started, so we focused on it. During halftime, Blake asked me to go with him to get snacks, but I watched the homecoming court instead. I had to admit, I was fascinated by the king and queen getting crowned. No matter how over high school I was, there was a tiny part of me that wanted a crown, and a mum.

"Overrated." Rachel informed me when I told her my secret desires. "High school politics are not worth it for a plastic crown"

"You would know huh? Homecoming queen?" I smiled at her.

"No. Prom queen." She said, like she was ashamed. I laughed.

After the game, which Darren's team destroyed their opponents 49-7, Blake asked me if I wanted to grab something to eat.

"Yeah. There's a Denny's up the street if y'all wanna go." Forrest said.

I agreed. Blake looked a little annoyed, but he agreed too. Rachel was gonna to wait with Forrest for all the students to go home, so Blake and I left ahead of them.

We were seated in a booth at Denny's right away. Blake sat down beside me, leaving the empty booth for Forrest and Rachel.

After ordering water and coffee, I looked through the menu.

"What are you getting?" Blake asked me, looking over my shoulder to read my menu. A little weird, considering his menu was right in front of him, but whatever.

"Pumpkin pancakes."

"I hate pumpkin." Blake informed me.

"Really? Like any pumpkin?" I questioned.

"Yeah. It's so nasty."

"Thanks. Guess I'm gonna eat nasty pancakes." I said, checking my phone. Where were Rachel and Forrest?

The waitress came over. I asked her to give us a minute while Blake texted on his phone. A couple moments later, his phone vibrated. He read it as I put my menu away.

"That was Forrest. Rachel has an early morning, so they're not going to join us." Blake informed me.

"Really? That sucks." I said, disappointed. My phone beeped so I pulled it out.

Forrest: Sorry Lily! Ttyl. Just remember his MO.

I smiled and put the phone away.

"Who was this?" Blake asked.

"Forrest. Just apologizing for standing us up." I said, simply.

After we ordered our food, Blake turned to me.

"So what are you up to this weekend?" He asked.

"Uh, girls weekend. My friend is getting her hair done and we're going to get out nails done and have dinner and stuff. I need to go shopping for Halloween too" I told him.

"What are you gonna be?"

"I don't know. My friend is having a Circus themed party on Saturday."

"Circus? So no plans for Friday?" Blake asked.

"Yeah. It's kids friendly. Her husband doesn't celebrate Halloween, so the kids don't trick or treat. She always has a costume party for the kids after Halloween." I explained Amber and Will's party to him.

"Who doesn't celebrate free candy?" Blake said with a smile.

"Someone raised by Jehovah's witnesses. Their parties are always major through. Amber loves decorating and dressing up. She buys everything after Halloween so it's all clearanced and she makes sure there's a ton of candy so the kids don't feel left out."

I smiled, thinking about how much effort Amber puts into her parties. It's one of the reasons she wanted a house with a huge backyard so badly. She got her wish. Kudos to Will on that one.

"Well, you should hang out with me Friday for an adult event. I'll text you the details as soon as I know." He invited me.

I nodded. "Sounds good."

We ate and I found out a little more about him. He is 28 and actually owns an indoor sports facility. His grandfather left it to him when he passed away. I was so impressed he managed it by himself.

"Me too." He admitted when I complimented him. "First few years were rough. I had no life outside of it. Now I'm finally getting to relax and enjoy some of my hard work. Next time you're in Fort Worth, you should come check it out."

"I definitely will." I agreed.

After we finished, I insisted on splitting the bill.

"Do you wanna go get a drink somewhere?" He asked, as he walked me to my car.

"I can't. I'm on call tomorrow, so I'm gonna head home and get some rest, just in case I get called in." I declined.

"Ok. I'll text you." Blake said, giving me a hug.

I wished him a good night and went home. The apartment was empty so I sent Sammy a text to see what she was up to.

While I waited for a response, I looked up proposal stories online. I suggested to my brother since they met in anger management, we should find a way to tie that into his proposal to Jenna. Trevor thought it was brilliant, but Cam shot it down immediately. I think Cam is leaning towards the more traditional route of getting down on one knee and having a speech ready. I think that's an awesome start, but he should personalize it little more. I wanted to get some ideas to present to him.

After saving a few, I looked up music education. I found a great article about music empowerment and how children involved with music do better in school. It broke down the benefits which included improved spatial-temporal reasoning, which is beneficial to math, and the repetition of tunes helping memory. It was clear and concise about the numerous advantages kids have when they learn, play and create music.

I posted it on my Facebook, and tagged Ethan, Megan and Corey in it.

I captioned it:

Interesting read. Maybe school would have been more fun for me if I was involved in something I loved like music...

Corey liked it right away and sent me a message.

I'm still down for teaching EJ.

I messaged him back.

I know. That was for his dad. He doesn't want EJ learning.

He wrote me back.

Ah, gotcha. 

He then commented on the post so Ethan and Megan could read it.

That's why I love teaching kids music. So rewarding seeing their confidence grow when learning something new. It translates over to every aspect of their lives. 

I laughed. That was putting it on a little thick. He worked as a pharmacy tech, but I liked his comment anyway. I went to bed, hoping Ethan believed it.



I woke up the next morning and gave Rocky a call. I knew she was heading over to Jasmine's shop to get her hair done. I talked to her and she informed me she was about to drive over. Her appointment was at 9. She offered to pick me up, but I told her I would meet her up there in a little bit. I didn't wanna be stuck there if it was weird with Jasmine. The last thing I spoke to her about was staying out of Jake's and my business. I had no idea how she took that.

I left my room, dressed for a run. I went over to Sammy's room and knocked on the door. When I didn't get an answer, I walked in. She was sleeping hard in bed. I wondered what time she got home; she never returned my text. I hopped on the bed with her.

She groaned and mumbled, "Get the fuck out."

"C'mon. You said healthy life and shit. Let's go for a run!" I exclaimed.

"No."

"Awww.... Poor Sammy. So tired. What were you doing last night? Or who? I thought you and Corey were taking it slowww." I teased her.

"Lily, I'm not playing. Just because you don't have Jake to keep you occupied, doesn't mean it's my job." She said, sharply.

Her tone was enough was to make me get up. Her words were like a slap in the face. Maybe I was preoccupied with Jake, but when I was home, she rarely was. I looked at her, hurt. When she just rolled over, I left the room.

I went down the stairs, deciding not to let her words get to me any more. If she wanted to be a bitch, she could. I was not going to let it ruin my Saturday.

I put on my headphones and got ready to take off.

Until I saw my car. It was covered in stickers.

When I saw the stickers were Happy Bunny, I knew it was Trevor. There was little doubt before, but I was 1000% sure. I was obsessed with Happy Bunny everything during my first year of college. It was my silent 'fuck you' to the world. Didn't matter how awkward, fat or alone I felt, looking at that cartoon bunny with an insult at his feet made me smile. My dad would never go for it, so my dorm room was covered in Happy Bunny merchandise; thanks to all the gift cards I got for graduation.

The first time Trevor saw my side of my dorm, of course he made fun of me. He fed into my obsession by buying me t-shirts, key chains or mints with Happy Bunny on them for my birthday, holidays, or just because.

I was in disbelief as I looked my car over. Where did he even find all these stickers?!? I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.

"Hello?..." He greeted me, cheerfully.

"I'm gonna fucking KILL YOU!" I exclaimed, scrapping off a sticker from my window.

"You don't sound happy. What's the matter bunny? " Trevor laughed at his own stupid joke.

"You fucked with Lady Kitana. You know my car is my heart. You are dead!!!" I threatened him.

"Hash tag Not scared." Trevor laughed, before hanging up on me. I tried to call him back. No answer. I was outside, 5 minutes, scraping at my car, trying to remove the stickers, when I received a text.

Trevor: Check your Facebook.

I groaned and pulled up my Facebook. Trevor posted pictures of him coming over last night and putting the stickers on. He tagged me and Cam in the photos.

He captioned them:

#HaHa #LadyKitanaMakeOver #PrankWar #CheckUnderYourCar

I did just that. I got on my knees to retrieve a black bag. I opened it and saw a can off Goof Off. I sighed in relief as I read the back. It was an adhesive removal. I went inside and grabbed an old t-shirt to use as a rag. I poured some on my make shift rag and got to work. 30 minutes later, all the stickers were off. During that time, Trevor called me 3 times, I ignored him. I wasn't mad. It was a great prank, but I wanted him to sweat it out a little bit.

 My run forgotten, I took my car to the wash. While I was there, I received a call. I picked it up.

"You're still dead jackass!" I said, assuming it was Trevor.

"Whoa chick! What did I do to you?" Bianca asked, surprised.

"Sorry B. I thought it was someone else..." I explained to her what Trevor did to Lady Kitana.

She laughed. "That's ok cuz. I'll help you get him when I'm in town next weekend..."

"Oh, I don't need help. I'm slashing the tires on his car and scratching up his paint and..." I stopped when it registered what she said. "You're coming out to visit?!? Next week?!?" I said, excitedly.

"I am. Got an alert on a cheap flight, so I will be there Thursday and leaving Sunday, so don't buy a costume! I have an idea on the perfect one for you." She commanded.

"I need 2. A circus kid friendly one and a more adult one. A little sexy, not trashy."

"I know! Find a circus one."

"I'll wait for you so we can coordinate." I suggested.

"Alright Lily. I'll send you my itinerary." Bianca said.

"You better."

I got off the phone, super excited. I pulled out of the car wash, and parked to examine my car. It was good as new.

I got in my car and drove back to my apartment and went for a jog finally. In the middle of my run, my phone rang. I checked the caller ID this time. I was surprised to see Jake's number.

"Hello?" I answered, panting.

"Hey, are you in the middle of something..."

I took a deep breath. "No. Sorry. Just running. What's up?"

"I was just seeing if you got the stickers off your car..." He asked.

"How'd you know about that?" I asked. He couldn't see my Facebook. He blocked me.

"Your brother's page." He answered.

"Oh." I said. He was still friends with him? "Yeah, Trevor left Goof Off under the car. It's like a removal."

"Did you try it? It might damage the paint." He said.

"Yeah, it's fine." I replied.

There was a moment of silence.

"Well, he doesn't know that." Jake finally said.

"Know what?"

"That it didn't damage the paint. If you wanna get him back."

I smiled. "That's right! Thanks Jake."

"You're welcome."

I wanted to ask him why he cared, why he blocked me, and if he wanted to be friends now, but I let him go instead. I needed to focus on myself and being content. Whatever he wanted wasn't a part of that, so why bother?

I ran home, showered and changed. I called Rocky.

"Hey Rocky. Where are you?"

"Still at the hair salon."

"Damn. What all are you getting done?" I asked her.

"I'm almost done fool. Still coming to meet me?"

"I'm on my way." I told her.

When I got to the salon, I made my way to Jasmine's station. Jasmine was fingering the curls in the long extensions in Rocky's hair.

"Ohmygosh! You look amazing!" I exclaimed.

Rocky smiled at me in the mirror.

"I figure it's a nice change while I wait for my hair to grow back out." Rocky explained.

"I love it. Great job Jasmine." I smiled at Jasmine.

"I just styled it, but thanks." Jasmine said, curtly.

I watched as Jasmine removed the cape from around Rocky. She avoided my eyes. I didn't try to make anymore conversation with her. It was cordial at the moment. I wasn't trying to make it awkward, but I was disappointed. I knew the probability of us remaining friends was slim, but it was still sad.

After Rocky paid, we left and met Sammy, Amber, Gigi and Peyton to get our nails done.

Sammy was in a much better mood and was telling us about a party she worked the night before.

"Did you have the talk with Corey?" I asked after she finished.

"We did. He's cool with taking it slow." She explained.

After we got our nails done, we went to dinner at Razzoo's (my choice). We coordinated costume ideas over Cajun food. I excitedly told everyone my cousin was coming into town, so I needed something to do Friday night.

"Blake invited me out, but I would rather hang with y'all." I explained to them.

"I have a party to work. I can see about adding you to the guest list. It's a masquerade." Sammy shared.

"Friday we're going to a bar. They host a big bash and have a costume contest." Rocky started. "Jake will be there-"

"I don't think that will be a problem..." I said, before explaining Jake's and my weird conversation earlier.

Rocky looked at me. "He still has feelings for you Lily. That's why he didn't wanna see you. He's hoping giving you time to forgive him will help get him another chance."

Sammy just rolled her eyes. I sighed. "I do forgive him, but at the same time, I just wanna be single, you know?"

"Being single is not what it's cracked up to be. Dating sucks." Gigi warned me.

I smiled. "I know. I'm not even talking about being single and ready to mingle or stuff like that."

"So what are you talking about? If you forgive him, why not give him another chance?" Peyton asked.

"I made a promise to myself to be ok alone." I looked at Rocky. She gave me a reassuring smile. "I'm getting there. Part of that is starting new. Not even new, just a restart. Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense." Amber chimed in. "In fact, we should drink to it." She said, holding up her mason jar chiller. We all held up our drinks and toasted restarts.

After dinner, I headed home. I finally called Trevor back on my way home.

"You still mad?" He asked. I could see the stupid grinned on his face.

"Shut up. I just spent $200 on a paint job thanks to you." I lied.

"Really? To remove stickers? Wasn't there a bag under your car?" Trevor laughed.

"It's not funny. That's what fucked up my paint!!!"

"That wasn't part of the prank, I swear. I'm so sorry. Where did you take it?" He asked.

"Dan's paint shop..." I pulled a name out of my ass.

"Ok. I'm on my way over." He said.

I giggled to myself and thanked Jake in my head. Trevor came over and paid me the $200. I told him I would pay half, considering I started the prank war. He refused and we called a truce to the war.

We ended up spending the night watching SNL with Jim Carrey. Which turned into an all night marathon of all the Jim Carrey movies we could find.

Trevor was being weird and refused to sleep over, so he left at like 4am. After waiting for him to call and tell me he made it home, I went to bed.

When I woke up the next morning, I immediately went on Facebook. I changed my status to read:

Prank War over. I declare myself the winner. Not only did I get two pranks to his one, but his prank cost him $200 for a paint job that didn't happen. #Winning #FuckinWithDaBest 

After posting the status, I saw that I had a new friend request. I couldn't help the jolt that I felt when I saw Jake friend requested me again. I quickly accepted. I added a comment to my post. It read:

Thanks @Jake for the idea :-)

I spent the rest of my morning checking out his Facebook. The only reason I stopped evaluating his posts was because Trevor called me. I answered it to gloat.