Atlas

Twenty Eight

Friends.

Atlas paced around the hallway outside his apartment, wondering whether he should ring her doorbell. He knew she was home. He had seen her come back from classes just hours ago.

He didn't know how to feel. Right now, he mostly felt nothing and everything at once.

He rubbed the sleep away from his eyes. It was going to be a long day, although half of it was already over.

"Fuck it." He whispered under his breath and walked towards Grace's front door. He knocked twice.

"Hey." She opened it in one swift motion. In her other hand, there was a mug of green tea.

He instantly regretted why he had come to her for two reasons.

1. They hadn't hung out much since she had come back, and him asking her a favor might sound selfish.

2. More importantly, she looked like she had caught the world's worst cold.

"Are you okay?"

"You ask me that every morning. And evening."

"That's because you don't look okay."

She let him in and closed the door behind him. "I was fine yesterday." She shrugged, setting the mug on the table. As always, her place wasn't dirty, but just a little bit messy. Atlas loved that. There were so many things always lying around. Her place looked like an actual home. "But I think the cold weather made it worse."

"Well, you should get some rest then. I'll bring you dinner later."

"No, its okay." she turned to him and pointed at his jacket. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Uh, yeah. Adrian suggested I should try therapy."

She looked slightly surprised. "Nervous?" Her mouth curved into a warm smile. Like she wanted to calm him.

"Yeah. I was going to ask you if you'd like to come with me. Not to therapy, I mean..." He shuffled his feet. "You know what, its fine. You're not feeling well anyways."

"No, I'd love to come." She looked around, perhaps searching for something. "Beats being bored at home. I'll be ready in five."

Atlas opened his mouth to argue. He really didn't want to be selfish today, but the idea of therapy absolutely appalled him. The last time he had tried it, it had turned into an utter mess.

She went to her room to change, emerging with a brown jacket and a water bottle in her hand. "Uber?"

"No."

"Then?"

He didn't answer. As they went downstairs, Atlas walked her towards the parking lot.

"Meet Kerby."

"Kerby?" she raised an eyebrow.

He pointed at a 2017 white Ford. Kerby was short for Kerberus – the Greek form of Cerberus. Atlas thought it was pretty funny.

"When did you get a car? Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Christmas." He had saved up just enough, and with a little help from Adrian, Atlas had bought his first car. He had wanted to surprise Grace with it at the airport, but that had never really happened.

He got in the driver's seat and switched on the heating. The drive itself didn't feel awkward at all – Atlas was dreading that might happen – and they used this time to catch up. No one brought up any real emotions, just mundane things.

"You won't have to wait long. The first session is half an hour only."

"I don't mind." She said. "Do you want me to come into the clinic with you?"