Remember This Part

25. Wellington Street

Thea.

"Nika, it's fine, I promise," I assure her for third time.

"No, Thea, there's no way I'm letting you go to this thing alone," she argues over the phone.

"But we've been waiting to see this apartment for weeks," I remind her. She just threw up twice in the public bathroom of the Life Sciences building, so of course, she's in no position to evaluate a potential apartment today. And she's very adamant that I can't go without her, because she says that's how people get killed and turned into leather jackets.

I never thought I'd say it, but maybe we need to take a break from true crime shows.

"It's dangerous," she says. "It's not exactly a safe area, and we don't really know the woman showing us the apartment."

"She's, like, seventy, and she makes her own earrings out of bird feathers. I'm pretty sure she's safe."

"You don't know that! What if she kills those birds?"

"Nika, we've been struggling to find an apartment all semester, and this is the last week before Thanksgiving break. If we don't do this now, we'll have to reschedule for after we get back, and this place probably won't be available by the time we do," I say, trying to sound rational. "I am going to this appointment. I will take lots of pictures and tell you how it goes, okay?"

"Maybe you should invite Alex to go with you," she suggests. "You shouldn't go by yourself." 

"He's in class for the next half hour. It's fine," I repeat. I hear her hesitation on the other side of the phone.

And then, finally, "Okay."

"Thank y—"

"—But only if you send me a text telling me you're okay every ten minutes."

"Nika, it would be rude for me to be on the phone that much."

"Every. Ten. Minutes," she emphasizes. "Otherwise, I'm calling the police."

"I don't think the police will come just because I took eleven minutes to respond to you," I say.

"Fine, then I'll call Alex."

"You don't have his number," I snort, calling her bluff.

"I do too."

"What? How?"

"I saw him on my way to class and I made him give it to me."

"That's so uncalled for."

"I need to have access to the people who are in your life," Nika says. "Besides, he wanted me to have it. Apparently, he also wants access to the people who are in your life. For this very reason, might I add."

"Alright, alright, fine," I relent. "Every ten minutes."

"Thank you," she says. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to throw up again."

"Bye, Nik. Feel better, okay?"

"Yeah, well, since you told me to."

"Love you."

"Love you, too. And be safe."

"I will. Go throw up."

"Yeah."

I hang up and slide my phone into my back pocket, just as I see the bus coming up the hill. I didn't exactly tell Alex I was seeing an apartment today, mostly because I didn't want him to ask where the apartment is. I already know he wouldn't like it. He gets paranoid when we're at a crowded coffee shop. He definitely wouldn't be thrilled about the neighborhood we've selected (well, the neighborhood we can afford).