Still Holding On

sixty-one

I was helping Mrs. Bahl with cleaning up, worried about Nishi. Cole wasn't exactly that helpful even when he tried.

"Is she always this mad?" Mrs. Bahl asked.

"Huh?" I couldn't understand.

"You're her friends. You would know." She spoke. "Is she always this moody at school too?"

"Uhh.." I thought of an accurate answer. "No. Not really."

"She's been mad at me for quite a while now." She said, trying to set the leftovers in the refrigerator. "She's been pissed at me for a long time."

Cole shot me a look from behind her back.

"How is she doing at school, Jace?" She asked, sounding certainly concerned.

"She's doing fine." I didn't know what else I should've said.

She broke a moment of silence as she started speaking. "Ever since her dad flew for the trip, which I know all of you know about, she's been mad at me." She hesitated. "She's had to deal with a lot with all the treatments for her EHD and then her father not being around and it's like I've only ended up making life at home worse for her."

"She's been fine at school. She's had enough of the bullcrap from it but she's still doing fine." I assured her.

"Really?" She looked at me. "I think I've only made her mad by getting Anika here. Though all I wanted was for her to have a lively atmosphere at home. And Anika was moving to Hamden anyways so I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to cut down some tension."

"She's fine with Anika being here!" Cole said.

"Oh cmon, she isn't." Mrs. Bahl chuckled as both of us knew Nishi was not okay with her cousin being around. Cole was just sticking out for her.

"I'm sorry this is none of my business," Cole spoke, "but I think Nishi just needs a little more time and a little less affirmation." hesitantly.

"Yeah, I guess it's that." She said. "She misses her father, you know?"

Before I could say anything, we heard the thumps from the staircase. Nishi, Ash and Allan were all coming downstairs, smiling.

I guess Mrs. Bahl looked at them and passed a smile. I looked at Allan and he slightly nodded.

"Anyways, the work here is done. Y'all should go and join them." Mrs. Bahl said.

And that's what we did. We sat in the living room for a while before leaving for home.

As soon as I parked the car, Allan jumped out and rushed to the backseat. He took out an envelope from the back pocket and quickly opened it. His facial expressions weren't helping cus there were apparently so many of them.

He suddenly got off the car, shut the door, and came and sat in the front seat. How does my boyfriend manage to be so dramatic?

"What the fuck is it Allan?" I asked.

He said nothing but handed me the folded paper. I opened it. "HOLY SHIT!" I screamed.

"I mean it makes sense she'd been talking about Paris all the time." He said.

"But like.." I hesitated. "won't this cost her a little too much?"

"She's rich, Jace."

I wonder what Jessica's reaction is gonna be. We enter the house and see Jessica sitting in the kitchen in a robe and with a glass of wine.

"Hi boys!" She was a little too loud. Was she drunk?

"Why are you still up?" Allan asked.

"No. Why are you still up?" She giggled. She was definitely drunk.

"Okay!" Allan snatched the wine glass from her hand. "We gotta get you to bed."

"No. Nick!" She was rumbling as we took her upstairs.

"What? Wait, Jess, Nick? What about him?" Allan asked.

"Nick texted me." She laughed and then somehow managed to pass out in Allan's arms.

We got her to bed. "But why would he text her now?" He asked as he got into bed later. "He isn't even in town."

---❁---

I was in the kitchen with Allan's mom when I heard the screech. I rushed upstairs as fast as I could. "What happened?" I asked in panic.

Allan sat there on the bed with Jessica. His finger was plugged in his ear and he looked at me as though being tortured. "I told her about the tickets."

"Understandable." I said as I went and sat next to Allan.

"I'm texting her." Jessica announced.

"That better be a thank-you." I said.

"No, what the fuck was she thinking?" Jessica said while smashing her keyboard.

"I mean it's Paris guys." Allan said looking at me.

"Don't look at me. I have no opinions on this. I'm in if you are." I rumbled at him.

There was a knock on the door. It was Mrs. Colebrooks. "I heard her scream." She was calm.

"Yeah, no! She's fine." Allan told her.

"I know. But I was expecting that reaction." Mrs. Colebrooks smiled.

All three of us looked at each other confused. Did she know about the tickets?

"Do you know?" Allan asked.

"Yes. Obviously. She asked us before booking them." She informed.

Jessica was taken aback. "You are in on this too? How costly is it? How the fucking balls are we affording it?"

"Language, Jess!" Mrs. Colebrooks spoke. "It's not that costly. And I think it would be refreshing for all of you."

"Does mom know about this?" I asked, hesitant.

"All the adults know. We're all cool with it." She smiled again.

"But what about Cole?" I asked again. "Wouldn't he... uhh feel bad?"

"Cole chose not to go. He's going to LA to your uncle's." She informed.

Now Allan was taken aback. "He knew too?"

"Everyone knows. Don't y'all have school? And you have to pack Jess." I forgot she was leaving tonight.

"Will do." She said, completely into her phone, still smashing her keyboard.

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Heyy! Sorry for late Updates. I need to be more punctual about these chapters.

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