On the Road

8: Confessions

I woke up to see Anissa at our kitchen counter eating cereal the next morning. I could hear the shower running so I figured that's where Jess was. "Well you're unusually late for class this morning." I remark as she finished her bowl and placed it in the sink. "I got an email saying that class was canceled and since finals are almost here I'm done with labs so I have no more class for the day." She tells me with no expression of happiness on her face. I knew whatever was bothering her would be made better when I tell her the good news about seeing the guys this weekend. "So Anissa guess what?!" I tell her with a bit of excitement in my voice. "What?" She says a bit enthusiastically. "Michael told me that management agreed to fly us out to show for the weekend. Isn't that great?!" I tell her almost jumping up and down. She sighs and I know that it's not a good sign. "Sherri I can't finals are coming up. You can go without me and spend time with your boyfriend. I'd just be a third wheel up there." She tells me and I look confused. "What are you talking about? You and Luke totally have a thing going on so--" she interrupts me to say. "Luke and I have nothing going on between us. He was just being nice to me, okay? Not all of us can get every freaking guy in the room to like us like you can okay? So spare me some pain and go without me." She tells me as she goes to her room then closes the door. Jess comes out of the bathroom drying her hair with a towel. "What the hell was that all about?" She asked looking at Anissa's room.  "I don't know but I'll find out later I have class in ten." Normally I would've skipped class and bugged Anissa until she told me what the hell was going on but today I had a final and I couldn't miss it. I drove to the university and I walked into my psychology class then took my usual seat. My only friend in the class came and sat next to me. "Did you study?" Kelly asked pulling her note cards and highlighters from her backpack. I looked at my purse which held nothing more than my phone wallet, a pack of gum and some stray cough drops. "Nope. And I forgot my notebook."I dropped my head to the desk and groaned. "Here let's quiz." Kelly began using her note cards to quiz us both until the professor walked in. An entire semester in this class and I still couldn't believe this tiny little lady was my professor. She stood a whopping 4 foot 10 inches and weighed I'm guessing maybe 90 pounds. He hair was dyed a dingy reddish color and I swear to all the gods she wore green contacts. "Hey guys! So it's the final who's ready?" She chirped in her ever happy voice. No one replied and she was met with 12 sets of blank dead eyes. "Right. Too bad I couldn't get you guys to talk. Any way here's your test. When you finish put it there and then you can leave." She handed each one of a test and we began the long yet easy test. I finished in maybe 15 minutes and turned in my booklet. Kelly was still only halfway through when I walked past her and grabbed my purse. She gave me a surprised look on my face. "You finished?" She mouthed to me and I nodded my head then booked it the hell out of there. I was so happy that I was done with that class. My mind went wondering to what was going on with Anissa so I decided that I would get her some ice cream so that maybe that would get her to talk to me. She had always had a soft spot for ice cream. I went to the bookstore and grabbed her a pint of her favorite Rocky Road ice cream. I drove back home then walked over to Anissa's room and knocked on her door to offer her the ice cream I had just bought her. "Anissa..." I hear her crying on the other side. "Anissa I don't understand. What is going on? Can you please come out so we can talk about this? I bought you ice cream.  I know how you love it when you are upset." I ask concerned for my best friend. She doesn't say anything but opens the door. "I'm sorry for my outburst at you. I'm not mad at you. I'm just upset and I do not want any food right now. I do not need something else to feel bad about myself." She says and I give her a look of confusion. "Well can you please explain to me why you are upset because I am really confused here." She sighs and gestures for us to go sit on the couch. "Yeah yeah I know I am not making any sense right now," She takes a breath as Jess sits on the arm rest. "Well you know how Luke drunk dialed me, right?" I nod my head and she continues to explain after a heavy sigh. "He told me... he only started talking to me because Michael had already claimed you... said I was nice and he thought I was pretty but at first he was just trying to get you to like him by being nice to me. He tried to say more but by that point I was done listening so I hung up on him. He tried apologizing for it yesterday but I just told him to forget about it and to not talk to me. So I am really sorry. I just do not want to see him this weekend and I honestly do not know when I will want to again..." I sat there stunned. Luke liked me? Little things began to make sense. "Anissa... I--" she held up a hand. "Do not apologize. This is NOT your fault." She stood and straightened out her shirt. "I'm going to go to the pharmacy and see if they need help." And with that she grabbed her purse and walked out the front door. I stood and looked down at my phone. I had an inner debate with myself about what I was about to do. It pained me to see Anissa in that much pain. We had been best friends since she had moved into the dorms. We had not known each other for as long as Jess and I had known each other, but it felt that we had known each other for quite sometime now. I went I quickly dialed a number and listened to the phone ring. "Who are your calling?" Jess asked but I just geld up a hand as someone answered. "Hello?" A groggy deep voice answered on the other line. "Luke? We need to talk!" I told him urgently with a bit of anger in my voice. I was not happy with that blue eyed boy. He had hurt my best friend.