Clouded Alignment (NB)✔️

11. Preen

"What do you mean you didn't go shopping yet?!" Ari gasps, dragging her feet around in her room. "Friend. It's in three weeks!" She reminds me.

"I know but I was gonna go at the start of the month but things got crazy last week." I explain, laying my head on her blanket from the side of her bed.

"Didn't you just go out with Maya? What? Did your mom flip out for getting home too late or something?" She asks, rustling around in her closet for her prom shoes. That's a fair and accurate assumption but not exactly what's been on my mind for a few days.

"Just a bit." I reply, quietly closing my eyes. I'm so tired lately, I can't sleep at home and daddy just went on a business trip to lecture at some seminar with other professors. I haven't seen him since before.. that happened. I miss him.

"She get on my nerves man- Oh! There it is!" She finds the shoe box and puts them on the floor. I open my eyes and watch my friend shift around in front of the mirror, fixing her blue dress that matches her newly blue hair. Her shoes are dark and sparkly. She looks like she's having fun.

"It looks good." I tell her, yawning right after.

"Thank you, my brother helped me with the colors," she says smiling. I try to return it but my expression falls short. "You good Ave?" Ari puts her dress down and steps out of the shoes to approach me who's on the floor, barely responding.

"Yeah."

"You don't seem good Avery, you haven't been alright for a few days now." She reaches out to touch my arm but I flinch away. Ari gives a sad smile before dropping her hand, "you're quieter. More reserved than before. You've been avoiding everyone and it's not to talk to your other friends either, you just haven't been around the cafeteria at all." She lists everything as I just close my eyes and ignore her. "Even with Maya, you've been avoiding her, she thinks you changed your decision so you're trying to ease your way out the-"

"I didn't. I'm not." I open my eyes.

"Then what's going on? You don't seem okay," she asks, sitting close to me on her bedroom floor.

"It's nothing really, I just made a mistake and now I feel awkward."

"Well what is it, maybe we can help?" She tries to reassure me but I shake my head.

"No it's okay. I'm fine now. I'll join the group as usual." I give her my best attempt at a smile but she's not convinced.

"I don't believe you but it's okay for now." She stands up and starts putting the protective bag back on her prom dress. "You want to stay over again?" She asks.

"Yeah, I'll turn in now if that's cool?" I ask, slowly getting up and sliding into Ari's bed.

"But it's early, I think it's like seven?" She says, confused.

"It's cool," I yawn and wrap myself in the thin blanket. "Sorry if I scream again." I tell her, eyes falling shut and body sinking into her bed for the second night in a row.

"What is it with that?" She asks, "I don't remember that being a habit when we were younger."

"Sorry.." I mumble, half-asleep, "just nightmares." I fall asleep before I can hear her response.

———

When I left Ari's house, I went straight to my dad's place. I know he's not home right now but I'm glad I have a key so I can get in easily.

Since last Saturday, my mom hasn't been harassing me or calling my phone, thinking I'm with Cantor getting 'fixed'. I haven't corrected her so I'm just avoiding her for as long as I can. When I went home during the weekdays, it was late and she never put up a fight about it. To be honest, I haven't spoken to her since Monday.