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Theresa was halfway to Fez's house before she really realized what she was doing.
Don't be awkward T, don't be an idiot, don't be awkward T, don't be an idiot
She couldn't help overthinking. She felt so stupid for not keeping in touch with him. Was it her fault that they didn't speak all year? Or was it because of what happened that night?
Theresa pulled into the driveway of Fez's grandma's house. It was a white, ground-floor apartment building, only a few minutes away from Theresa's home. She had been there a million times before, but this time felt different. She felt like a stranger coming over for the first time.
She rang the buzzer, which she knew was connected to security cameras. She waited a moment, knowing that Ashtray was watching her from the inside. Eventually, the boy opened the door. He looked exactly like Theresa remembered, but a little bit taller. He nodded his head at her when he saw her. Theresa and Ashtray used to be very close. He was like a second brother to her. She could remember when he was little, and Fezco and his grandmother took him in.
"Fez told me you was back in town," Ashtray said as he opened the door into the apartment. "Didn't say you was comin over though."
Theresa stepped into the dimly lit living room. It smelled strongly of weed and tobacco, just how it always has. Fezco sat at the kitchen table, smoking a blunt and and counting money.
"Yo Theresa," he said in his usual quiet manner. "Whatchu comin by for?"
Theresa leaned against the faded wallpaper on the wall next to Fezco.
"I don't know.....I guess I just.....wanted to talk. Without my friends standing around us. I feel like I was acting super awkward the other day."
Fez simply nodded, continuing to count his money. Theresa couldn't tell if he was annoyed or happy to see her.
"Look I'm sorry, if its a bad time, I can just go," she said, flustered, slowly walking towards the door. "I don't even know why I came by, it was stupid."
"Nah, don't walk outta my house T," he said. "I'm glad you here."
Theresa sat down on the couch. She wanted to cry for some reason. She was a confident girl, why didn't she feel confident now?
"I just fucking missed you, Fez. I'm really sorry I didn't text you or call you when I moved. I was in a really bad place."
Theresa's mind flashed back to the last night she saw Fez before moving away. She remembered her tears and his screams. She remembered the blinding lights of the party behind them.
"Theresa imma be real wit you, I bet I missed you more than you missed me."
Her heart fluttered.
"I'm sorry for what happened that night." he said. Clearly, his mind was stuck there too. He got up from the table and went to sit next to her on the couch. He wrapped his arms around her, and tucked a loose piece of her hair around her ear.
"T, you one of the people I care about most in the world. I'll always be here for you, you feel me?"
Theresa nodded, and leaned her head on his shoulder. She missed him so fucking bad. He handed her his blunt, and she took a long hit. She handed it back to him.
Fez stared into her eyes. God, she couldn't get over those blue eyes.
Theresa leaned in to kiss him. Their lips met, and for a second, it was so fucking good. She couldn't remember the last time she kissed him. Suddenly, he pulled away slowly.
"Fuck, I'm sorry T," he said. "I wanna do this wit you.....but I just can't. You know why."
Theresa nodded slowly, biting her lip. "I don't care that you're a drug dealer. You know how I feel about you."
Fez looked down at the ground and took another hit from his blunt. "It was fun when we were younger. But you a good girl," he said. "You gonna go to college, and have a nice, stable life wit no drugs involved. You know why this can't go on no more."
Theresa got up. Part of her felt desperately mad.
"You're the only one for me," she said. "You can't act like this. I don't need to be 'protected' or some shit. I know you'd never hurt me."
"It's not me who gonna hurt you," he replied. "You needa be wit some private school boy, or I don't fuckin know. A nice guy, you feel me."
Theresa stood up. She felt like an idiot. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks.
"You're my family," she said. She got up and walked out of the apartment.
