The Reason Why
//chapter thirteen//

     "Okay, it's alright with my parents!" Gabby announced while we were talking on the phone after school. We had been trying to arrange a time to work on our English project. "Is it alright with yours?" She asked.
     I fell silent. For a really, really long time. 
     "Cara? Caaaraaaa?" I heard Gabby's voice wander from the speakers.
     "My aunt Gloria said yes," I told her, my voice quivering. I didn't want to tell her.
     "O-okay... but what about your parents?" She asked again, with a hint of a laugh to lighten the mood.
     "Look, I don't want to talk about that right now." I said, my voice cracking. If I said one more word, I knew I would cry. "I live with my aunt Gloria. And her daughter, my cousin, Stephanie Holt. From school," I confessed in tears. 
     "Stephanie Holt is your cousin?" Gabby asked, shocked.
     "Yep. Come over at 5:30, 'kay?" 
     "Okay but what about--" 
     "Gotta go! Bye!" I hung up, cutting her off. 
     I tossed my phone on my bed, sighing. I wiped away dried tears from my cheeks, and I could feel a breakdown coming. I forced myself not to fall to the floor and sob and clicked on the TV, watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians until the doorbell rang and I heard a familiar voice ring through the speakers.
     "Uh, hello? Is this working right? Uh, it's Gabby," the voice said. I shut off my TV and ran to get the door.
     "Hey," I smiled, greeting her. "Come in," I offered.
     The house left Gabby speechless, which made me laugh. I led her up to my room and she snapped out of it. 
     "You live here?" She asked, astonished.
     "Yep." 
     "Oh my God!" She exclaimed.
     "I know right," I fake smiled. "We better get started." 
     That evening we had a lot of laughs, smiles, jokes, and talking, but the whole time I couldn't get my mind off Dominick.