Nerd

XIV

XIV.

I STOOD AT THE TOP of the stairs frozen while my mother stood at the bottom to gaze up at me. Neither of us attempted to say anything besides the obvious. It felt like the seconds that were passing was being dragged out until minutes, the sound of my pulse getting louder in my ears as the silence in the house grew. I could hear a shuffling noise come from my bedroom, knowing it was Amanda putting her clothes back on.

"You're back." My head trying to wrap around what's going on. "I didn't think you'd be back yet," I said, trying to keep calm and my voice even. I wish I could read what was going through her head right about now. I hated her silent treatment when I felt myself caving in.

"Is Ryan here with you?" she questioned, her voice holding no tone, "who's upstairs with you?" another question rolling from her tongue.

I felt my stomach begin to churn as I swallowed back the bile. I knew what she heard, I also knew I couldn't play it off. She was staring at me like she had seen a ghost, her face changing when it was Amanda that walked on out of my room to stand next to me. Would she take this a whole lot easier if it had been Ryan rather than a girl? The fact that no reaction crossed her face made the realisation that she was holding back whatever it was she wanted to let out.

"Amanda," I answered, my voice steady even when she carried on staring through me, Amanda's hand holding onto my forearm gently. She was about to say something to me when my mother spoke up.

"So is this what you do when you tell me you're studying?" she inquired, her face set in stone. My heart was already in my mouth as she confirmed my assumption that maybe sleeping with Ryan would have gone down better when the judgement in her voice came out dripping.

"We do study when I tell you that," I said, breathing deeply through my nose to stop myself from vomiting right there on the spot. Part of me wanted her to start shouting to get it over and done with but at the same time glad she hasn't hit that point yet.

"So, what I heard going on is an extracurricular activity, I suppose? Amanda, you should leave," her was voice stern as she looked back at Amanda.

"I was just about to say I'll give you guys space." She spoke up next to me, her hand still on my forearm.

I closed my eyes, breathing out before opening them again. "I'll drive you home," I whispered to her as we both walked down the stairs, my mum allowing Amanda to pass but blocked me on the last step.

"She can find her way home, we have something to talk about don't you think." Not making it sound like a question but more of a demand.

"What are you doing?" I asked, moving around her as she snatched out at me and grabbed onto my arm when I stood next to Amanda.

"You're not taking her." She snapped when I opened up the door, me and my mother standing toe-to-toe. She was like a ticking time bomb and I knew she's waiting to explode when Amanda was gone. "You are not leaving this house, Rebecca."

I pulled my arm free from her, giving her a look of disbelief. "She lives five miles away, I'm taking her home," looking down at her when Amanda stepped free from the house, leaving the two of us alone.

"She can find her way home, she can walk for all I care," she snarled in my face.

"Have a heart," I spoke, my feet planted as I stood my ground waiting for more to come my way but her words fell short when her mouth closed shut before I walked away towards my car, towards Amanda.

With shaky hands I held onto my car keys when the adrenaline started to wear off, I climbed on into the car and let out a steady long breath to calm myself down, not allowing myself to focus on a single thing without other thoughts coming rushing in and screaming at me,