Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Maddie, Cassie, BB, Kat, and Theresa climbed into Cassie's small car. Maddie started blasting Streets by Doja Cat on the car Bluetooth. Theresa smiled, watching the views of the small town pass out the window. When she was living with her dad, they were only 15 miles away from East Highland, but it somehow felt so different. There was something in the air here that felt like home. She felt sad all of a sudden, thinking about her dad and his new girlfriend, her mom who worked all the time, and her little brother Jonah who she hardly saw over the past year. She thought about Fezco too.
Cassie, who was sitting next to Theresa in the backseat, noticed her looking out the window.
"I know you're going through a lot right now, T," she said softly. "I'll always be here for you." She locked hands with Theresa's and squeezed it.
Theresa smiled. She knew she was lucky to have such great friends. Even if they were a little crazy.
The car continued down the road, eventually reaching the gas station. Theresa's palms started sweating. She hadn't seen him in an entire year. The last time she saw him was that night. The bad night.
Maddie parked the car in the empty lot. She looked at Theresa through the rearview mirror and grinned.
"Ready to go see your man?" She asked. Kat smiled next to her.
Theresa blushed, her heart racing. "Shut the fuck up Maddie, you're not funny. I was just gonna wait in the car anyways."
"Oh hell no," BB said, leaning over Cassie, who sat in the middle seat. "You're going in there. Just say hi to him. He'll probably be excited that you're back in town!"
The girls all started unbuckling their seatbelts and getting out of the car. Dry California air hit Theresa's skin as she stared at the small white building in front of her, her hands shading the sun from her eyes. Her friends led the way over to the gas station, Theresa slowly walking behind them. Butterflies raged in her stomach.
"Hey, Fez," the girls said in unison. Fezco looked up from his phone. He was sitting in a black chair, wearing a button-up shirt and jeans.
"Wassup ladies, what you tryna get into?" He asked. It was at that moment he turned his head and saw Theresa. She stood far from the other girls, her hands fidgeting behind her back. Fez almost lost his breath for a second. She had been gone for so long, and then suddenly, there she was. She looked even more beautiful than the last time he saw her.
"Theresa," he said. There was a look of shock on his face.
"Hey, Fez," she said awkwardly.
The group of girls stood smiling, looking at Theresa and then back at Fezco.
"Hold on, did you not tell him you were moving back to East Highland?" Cassie asked. Theresa shared an awkward glance with Cassie and the rest of the girls and bit her lip. It was true, she didn't tell Fezco she was moving back to East Highland for senior year. They hadn't talked to each other once while Theresa was gone.
"Um...you know what, we're just gonna go look around in the back," Kat said. The girls walked through the side door of the gas station, where Ashtray usually sold drugs. Theresa and Fezco were alone.
"So," Theresa said nervously. "How have you been?"
"I mean I'm doin good, but I can't believe you're here," he said, staring right into her eyes. "I mean I thought you was out living with yo Dad. Doin private school and shit." Fez lit the black and mild that he had tucked behind his ear.
"I mean I was living with my Dad, but I'm back now. For good. Shit just got like, I don't know, complicated." Theresa hoped he couldn't tell how nervous she was. She was usually super confident around guys. Something about Fez made her feel weak.
"How was your first year at community college?" she asked.
Fez sighed, and looked down at the ground. He didn't want to disappoint her with his answer. "It was good or whatever. I'm droppin out though. I gotta make more money to take care of my grandma, you feel me."
Theresa nodded. She felt really bad for prying. Fez's grandma had been sick for as long as she could remember, but she didn't know things were this bad.
"I missed you T," Fez said quietly. "You didn't text me all year. Not one time man."
Theresa sighed and looked around. The last night she saw Fez was complicated. Her mind flashed back to the bright lights, loud music, and sick feeling in her stomach that she felt that night.
"I...I'm sorry," she stammered. I didn't know you wanted me to text you."
At that moment, Maddie, Cassie, BB and Kat stepped out of the back room.
"We got our shit bitch!" Cassie exclaimed, waving her merchandise and then tucking it into her small purse.
"You two have fun out here?" BB asked with a smirk.
Fez exhaled his smoke slowly, his piercing blue eyes staring into Theresa's. Theresa bit her lip.
"Imma see you around, alright?" Fez asked. Theresa nodded awkwardly.
Maddie rolled her eyes. "I'm getting second-hand embarrassment from you two. Let's go T."
