Trent and Jake called me the next morning, Porsche had already gone and I had been awake for a good half hour.
"Hey guys," I said as I accepted the call.
"Girl! It's so weird at home without you," T replied instantly.
"We miss you like crazy, I can't wait until you're home for the weekend," J added.
I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I'm excited too."
In just a few days I'd be going back home for two nights, to catch up with Mom and Trent and Jake.
"Has Mom been okay?" I thought to ask.
"She's doing really well, don't worry. We've been keeping an eye on her," Trent reassured me.
"Mind you it wasn't easy at the beginning, but she goes to bed early and sleeps in on the weekends now," J added.
It was great news to hear, especially considering our mother's previously horrendous sleeping patterns. Like I used to stay up until midnight, sometimes later, but I could still wake up early in the morning and act like I didn't do all of that.
"Okay, we gotta go. Work to be done and all that," Trent sighed dramatically.
"Bye, bestie! I love you!" Jake said.
"Love you guys too, I'll see you in a few days," I replied, smiling.
Porsche kicked the door open when I hung up.
"Firstly, I only heard the ending of that call and I really hope you haven't got together with my bestie already and forgot to tell me," she said. "Second, do you wanna come out bowling with me and my bestie?"
"First, I was on the phone to my brother and my own bestie. Second, I would love to come out with you guys."
Porsche let out an enthusiastic "yay" and stepped into the room, with Alice following behind.
She waved. "Hey."
I resisted the urge to look anywhere else for fear of my face starting to blush and the risk of being seen.
"Hi."
Porsche was doing what she usually did whenever she came to the room; looking through her closet for something.
"Right, I know I never let you borrow my favourite hoodie," she said.
"You never have and I have never worn it, I promise. Just keep looking," Alice replied.
"What does it look like I'm doing!?"
"Not looking hard enough," she replied, calm as ever.
I burst out laughing as Porsche let out a frustrated groan.
Alice caught my eye, she smiled. And I smiled back before having to look down and hide my blushing face.
If I can't even be in the same room as her I don't know how we'd ever survive a proper relationship if we ever make it one day.
"I GOT IT!" Porsche screamed victoriously, pulling out a black hoodie.
There was writing on the front, a circle with The Losers Club in the middle and seven names surrounding it.
I could recognise the members of the Losers Club of IT, 1990 and 2017 and the original novel anywhere.
"Okay, we can go now," Porsche said after she had put her hoodie on.
I slipped a few bars of chocolate into my bag quickly before we left.
.........
"So are you gonna try to tell her tonight or do I have to wait yet another day?" Porsche asked me when we had a moment alone.
We had arrived at the bowling alley about ten minutes ago, Alice had excused herself to use the girls toilets.
I sighed. "You know I already have a girlfriend, who I'm trying to break up with. I need that relationship out of the way first, okay?"
She pouted. "Fine."
"Also, you won't be all....kind of overprotective like, right? I don't need that kind of pressure."
"I ship you guys so hard. Like, ship together, in a relationship. Do you know what I mean?"
"Yes," I replied.
Porsche sighed in relief. "Thank god, I would have had to go through all my IT ships and Ali's so tired of listening to me talking about it."
