She shrugs. “It’s tiring, but yeah, it’s fun, too.”
We’ve become closer over the past couple weeks, staying up late to study, chugging down strong coffee and munching on dark chocolate. She insists on playing headache-inducing punk rock music. She likes a mixture of old songs by the Sex Pistols and The Clash, and newer ones, what she calls Post Punk, by Joy Division, and The Cure.
On some evenings I have my way, though, and play my favorite music—Celtic and Neo-Medieval. Dakota makes faces at me, and I laugh so hard I choke on my coffee.
It’s great having a friend who doesn’t know much about me, the accident, who doesn’t pester me to do something about Ash, a friend who believes the new, cheery face I put on.
Selfish as this may sound, I’m also happy to be friends with someone without baggage. Everyone I know in this town seems to have dark stains on their past. Tessa, Dylan, Rafe. Zane, too, I have the feeling, though I don’t know details.
And Ash. His mother dead, his brother gone god knows where, his father a drunk and a killer.
Yeah, it’s nice having a happy-go-lucky girlfriend who regularly overdoses on chocolate and caffeine and goes into giggling fits.
Besides, Tessa has been acting weird ever since she found me and Ash together after the attack. She keeps asking if Ash called me back, and I finally tell her flat out to stop.
He’s the one who kissed me—again—then left— again! Then he won’t even answer the phone. It all looks pretty clear to me. He doesn’t want to see me or talk to me and I’m fine with it.
Have to be. What choice do I have?
Okay, so I was distant with him at first. I let him get closer, and look what happened. I need a break from the drama. My studies are a good excuse. I cancel our night out and then our meet-up at the campus cafe.
So I’m not expecting Tessa to appear at my door, dressed in trendy stretch pants and a classy grey coat, a huge smile on her face. And yet here she is.
She grabs my arms the moment I open the door and swings me around, humming a tune.
“Tess.” I laugh, trying to stop and pull my hands away. “What’s going on? What are you doing here?”
“Didn’t I tell you your place is on my way—”
“To your apartment, yeah I know.” I snort. “You look like you have good news. Did the hot boy from math take you out? What was his name—Andrew?”
“Who?” She scrunches up her face. “Oh I can’t even remember his name. God, you have the memory of an elephant.”
I roll my eyes. “As long as that’s the only elephant-like thing I have. Come on in.”
Dakota shoots us curious looks from under lowered dark lashes. “Hey.”
“Hey, I’m Tessa.”
“Dakota.”
Tessa takes a seat, her smile faltering.
“We’re classmates in English,” I say, suddenly a bit uneasy. I avoided Tessa the last few days, and here I am, hanging out with a brand new friend. “Hot cocoa?”
“Yes, please.”
“I, um. I should be on my way,” Dakota says, standing up and smoothing her hands down her short, purple skirt. Her black combat boots squeak on the hardwood floor. “Got a long drive ahead of me tomorrow.”
“Wait! What’s the hurry?” Crap, does she feel I’m pushing her out? “Stay a bit longer.”
“Nah, I really should be going.” She grins at me. “See ya, Audrey. Have a great Christmas.”
I sigh and walk her to the door. “You, too.”
When I return to the living room, I see Tessa relax. So I’m right. I need to spend more time with her. She probably thinks I’ve found a replacement for her. I can’t let her think that. I love her and she’s always been there for me, despite her insistence regarding Ash.
As I wander into my kitchenette, busying myself with heating the milk and digging out the package of Swiss Miss, I can’t help thinking that I should bring the two together, so they become friends as well.