Forked Roads Back

41 - TESSA

"SO HOW ARE YOU doing with the WEH news?" Chloe asks me in the bathrooms.

No one had asked me about it. But then again, I was glad of it. It was still a lot to get my head around.

"Oh, I'm okay," I say, not wanting to get into it now. I was feeling better now that Millie had mentioned the foundation being named after Matt, but still... a little too much to get my head around in a few days. "As okay as I can be," I add.

She nods, fluffing her hair. "He seems to be doing alright for himself in New York."

I smile. It was great to hear that, but the thought still stings slightly.

"Yeah, I think so. Millie told me he's caught up, so can graduate on time."

"Why wasn't he before?"

I look at her, widening my eyes and she realises what she's just said.

"Sorry, that was really stupid. Of course. It'll be nice for him not to be behind, I suppose. And he'll be staying in New York after college it seems..."

"What makes you say that?" I try to keep my cool but I can hear an edge in my voice. Chloe knows she's hit a nerve.

"Well, with the announcement? Someone has to stay in New York? Right?"

I raise my eyebrows, not believing what I was hearing.

"I'm just saying," she continues. "It's probably for the best too, right?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Well... with him in New York, it's less pressure for you and Jamie, right?"

She keeps saying 'right' at the end of every sentence, as if she's trying to pretend she hasn't been waiting to ask me these questions the entire time.

"Chlo, Jamie and I will be fine whether Archie chooses to stay in New York or not." Ha, take that, Chloe, my subconscious says as her face sours. "It's up to him where he wants to be."

She turns towards the mirror and focusses on her lipgloss and she speaks the next sentence.

"Well, I think he should stay in New York."

I actually take a step backwards as if she's punched me.

"And he should stay away for good if he knows what's good for him."

"What?" Where was this suddenly coming from?

I feel like my jaw is on the floor. I bet you anything she'd hoped I'd agree he should stay away and then we'd bond over it... Not a chance.

"Tess, why are you even shocked?" she scoffs. "He got Matt killed!"

"No, he didn't!" I shout back. "What the fuck! Is this what you've been thinking this entire time? That it was his fault."

This is why he's staying away, because he believes everybody is thinking like this. Chloe is only one that thinks that she's wrong!

"How are you not thinking that?"

I turn away and run my hands through my hair, my hands now shaking with anger.

"Matt didn't have to take him, and yet Archie insisted, and then look what happ-"

She stops suddenly as my hand flies out in front of me. I only realise what I've done when my hand stings, and as I look up, Chloe is cupping her cheek, tears in her eyes.

"What the fuck, Tessa?"

I knew I should apologise, because I never actually meant to hit her, but then why should I? She's the one that went one step too far.