W*tch

Chapter 4: Arguments

NOVA

"Are you okay?" Echo spoke quietly through the phone. 

I sighed. I should've known she would've noticed the tension in my voice. She'd seen me stressed in the past, but this time I truly did not want to talk about it.

"It's fine," I breathed, hoping with all my soul that Zoey would not push it. "It was just a little argument with my family."

"What happened?" Her voice shook a little and I could tell she was nervous. She had told me in the past that she was scared I'd be kicked out one day and forced to live out of my car. Neither of us had enough money to get our own place and there was no way her grandparents would allow me to move in. They liked me but they barely wanted Zoey to live with them.

I wish I could've been mean and said something to make her shut up before she'd pushed me to tell her. What would I even tell her? Oh, my sister is a witch. That makes me sound insane and I didn't need to make that more evident. "I really don't want to talk about it," I spoke. 

I could hear her sigh. "Are you sure?" She asked with clear interest pitching her voice. 

"I'm sure. Besides I have other things to tell you," I said trying to push the conversation away.

"What's up?" She asked.

I took a deep breath and a smile was slowly crossing my face. Finally feeling some normalcy. "Hayden talked to me today."

"He always talks to you. Did he ask to hang out with you again?" She asked but her question seemed to be laced with questions.

"He did," I spoke and ignored the silent questions that were there.

She sighed and I could tell she thought I was going to tell her the rude comments I had said in response. "Were you at least nice this time? Give the poor boy a break. He clearly likes you and all you've been is rude. Did he take it well? Do you think he'll ask again for the hundredth time?"

Once there was a break in her rambling, I finally answered her. "I said yes."

"What?" She practically screamed the question, forcing me to pull the phone away from my ear until I could tell she was waiting for my response.

"I felt bad so I told him yes. He's coming over tonight. When are you coming over?"

There was a pause. As if she didn't know how to answer. "I can't tonight."

"Why?" The irritation was clear in my voice but I was really trying to be nice about it. "Since when have you not been able to?"

"My grandmother needs me tonight. She says I need to spend more time with her," she spoke back with a lack of emotion.

I could understand that. Zoey had a hard time being around her grandparents. When we were about eleven, her parents passed away in a car accident. At least according to her grandparents. To this day she has never believed them. However, her parents were gone and someone had to take Zoey in. My parents offered but something about blood related being more important let her grandparents take her. That's what they wanted anyway. 

"Oh, " I said. I didn't really have anything else to say.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang pulling my mind off from Zoey.

"Well, it seems like lover boy is here so I'll let you go," Zoey sighed.

I sighed, hating that he had to like me. I could barely deal with what just happened. "Okay, talk to you later." 

She hung quickly leaving me a bit confused on the situation. I hesitated before I left for the door. Part of me felt like I needed to call her back to find out what exactly was going on with her. She wasn't typically like this.