let it hurt then let it go

 

The last person Chance expected to hear from was Robby.

"Are you coming  home for Thanksgiving?" He asked as if that was the thing most would ask, but COVID numbers were rising everywhere.

"No, I better not," Robby reminded him his dad had had COVID and he was in Texas and the numbers were even higher there. "I can't." Then he asked about Valentina. He wanted to know if she was OK.

"Yeah, I guess so," without, thinking Chance mentioned Matty. "I don't think they are dating, but Rosie says she sees them at school. Maybe..maybe he's just a good friend."

Of course, Robby said he was dating already as if Valentina was just an afterthought. Chance didn't know what to say. He knew Robby.

 Valentina meant a lot to his friend, or at least he thought he did. The more he listened Chance wasn't sure he liked Robby at all. How could he be so careless?

"Well, maybe Val is better off with Matty," Chance couldn't help but say. He felt he needed to be on Val's side. "Matty's a sweetheart of a guy. So different from you."

Chance winced hard thinking Robby was everything Robby hated about his dad. But now Robby's dad was settled down with Valentina's mom. It was weird how everything had changed.

"So you don't talk to your family anymore?" Chance felt sad that Robby wouldn't even talk to his dad.

"Hell no," Robby's voice was angst. "I don't want to have anything to do with any of them."

"That's too bad," Chance sighed. "I'm sure your dad misses you." He hated to remind Robby how his dad had been so sick in the hospital. It felt to him that he'd want to be with his dad now. 

"I'm not coming home for Christmas," Robby said he'd rather be in Texas.

"Well, I'm sure Val wouldn't want to see you either, with this attitude of yours," Chance spoke up. "She's better off without you."

Chance hung up. He didn't care if he ever heard from his friend Robby again.