Red Stars

Chapter 3: The Text.

Right after the trigonometry class, Anna picked me up for her hair appointment. I had wanted to go to home and lie in the comfort of my bed (math makes me like that) but I had promised Anna last week that I would accompany her and frankly, I've never had the heart to abandon a friend like that. I mean, I stuck with Melissa when all her friends left her for being outed as a snitch back in third grade. She was my first ever backstabber yet I was still there. How could I ever chicken out of a promise with Anna, then?

"You're quieter than usual, hon. Everything good?" she asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah I'm good. You know what math does to my brain, just a bit tired that's all."

"You sure?"

"Totally." I tried to put her mind at ease with a cheered up expression.

She put the music on pause as we stopped at a traffic signal. As she glided her hands down and then off the steering wheel, I noticed her wearing the rose-gold shaded ring I got her for her 17th birthday. She knew how to value gifts, another thing I loved about her.

She looked at me for a second before shooting her next question. Ah, the obvious one.

"Did ya make any progress with Dave yet?"

"Um no, not really. We're doing pretty great as friends. Think we're just gonna keep it this way," I answered with a half-truth.

"Oh come on, Katty, you guys have TOTALLY got a thing for each other. Whom you tryna kid?" she was using her know-it-all tone, which was always loaded with facts, but I wasn't sure if I liked it very much right then.

"Anna, it's not like that okay? Fine, I'll give you this much: we might be feeling a little bit of something. But you remember Mark. You know better than anyone. Don't make me say it."

The traffic lights went green. Anna pulled the gears as she drove on and took a turn into the street where her salon was.

"Fine, hon. You do you. But I'm always in your corner so don't you ever hold back from sharing things with me, yeah?"

"Yeah," I replied in a strangely dry tone.

About two minutes of awkward silence later, we reached the salon and Anna parked the car outside. I was about to hop out of the car when my phone did a pinggg sound. A notification.

I unlocked my phone and stared at the text from Dave.

Hey, I've been thinking of you. Need to talk to you about something tonight. Looking forward!

What could that something possibly be? I hoped to God it wasn't what I feared it might be. But what if it was? What would I do? I was puzzled.

"So are ya coming or not?" called out Anna from outside the flashy salon entrance.

I quickly got out of the car and joined her.

.....