FALLING in love

Chapter 18 - New habits

Angie

I've been to class and decide to go back to the dorm for a while before going to a frat party tonight. On the way I buy two sandwiches for me and Nancy. Just as I thought when I get back Nancy's still in bed facing the wall. As far as I can see she hasn't moved or showered for a while. Her hair is a mess, and it's not in a cute way, more like a crow set-up-shop-in-her-hair-kinda-way.

"Hey Nan-Nan," I greet her. I've adopted Char's nickname for her. "I bought us lunch."

"Oh, hi Angie. Thanks, but I'm not hungry..." She turns but she doesn't even look at me.

"Yeah, I know. You keep telling me, but you gotta eat, sister!" I throw the sandwich at her, aiming at her head. I chuckle.

"What the hell, Angie?! Leave me alone!" She's feisty when she's heartbroken. I don't take it seriously. Nancy's got a temper and a lot of opinions, and frankly I find her quite funny. Usually. Not when she's this crying mess! I sit down on my bed and eat my own sandwich. I understand that she wants to hide from the world right now, but she can't stay here forever. She gotta start going to classes again, but how do I get her out of her shell?! This is not my kind of thing. I kinda counted on Char to wake her up, but apparently that's not happening. I haven't seen Char for over a week.

"You wanna... you wanna go to a party with me?" I ask, still chewing a bite of my sandwich. She'll probably say no, but it can't hurt to ask.

"No. I'm not setting foot in that house again," she mumbles.

"No no, I didn't mean a party at Luke's." She winces at the mention of his name. Okay, so he's now the new Bruno, and we don't talk about Bruno, no, no. "I'm going to a frat party. We could get wasted together. Forget about everything, you know? It might be good for you." I continue incessantly trying to steer the conversation away from he-who-shall-not-be-named.

"Meh... I'm fine here." Nancy turns around again and lies facing the wall. She's done with the conversation.

"Sure you are. But are you ever gonna get out of bed?" I ask her. I'm worried about her, seriously, but I don't know what to do about it.

"No."

"Okay. Then move back to Forks and get a job at a supermarket and marry some boring middle school teacher kinda guy who's never gonna make you happy. Go ahead, waste your life." See if I care, but I don't say that part out loud.

"What has gotten into you?" Nancy turns around to look at me. I shrug my shoulders. My inadequacy in this situation is getting the best of me, and it's slowly turning into frustration. I mean, it's heartbreak, it's not a life altering event that governs your every perception and thought process. Right?

"Heartache sucks. I get it. But it's not the end of the world. Not even for you. College is our chance to get away and make something better for ourselves. We'll be fools not to take that chance. Now, eat you damn sandwich, take a shower, please, and go with me to that stupid party!"

Nancy looks at me with interest. She picks up the sandwich and asks:

"What are you getting away from?"

"The same as everyone else. My past." I smile at her, but it feels fake. As far as I can tell, Nancy hasn't had a single problem in her entire life, and she would never understand where I come from or what real worries and problems are.

"I won't go with you to a party," she says.

"Okay, but will you at least get out of bed?" I say sighing heavily.

"To do what?"

"I don't know... to have a one-night-stand or to study or drink tequila or go for a run. I don't know. Anything!"