Ugh You again~

Tate

A week had passed since the trip, and things were starting to feel normal again. Well, almost normal. Sario and I were still not talking, the fight we had leaving a rift between us. But Tsukishima and I had grown closer. Our nights spent talking and laughing were a welcome distraction from the turmoil of my friendship with Sario.

Life seemed calm, almost too calm, as if the universe was waiting to throw another curveball my way. Today, Tsukishima was at my house. We were sprawled out on the living room floor, working on our respective homework assignments. The comfortable silence between us was punctuated by the occasional question or comment about our work.

"So, do you think Mr. Toud will give us extra credit for that history project?" Tsukishima asked, glancing up from his notebook.

I shrugged, smiling. "Knowing him, probably. He seemed pretty impressed with our presentation."

Tsukishima smirked. "Yeah, we did a good job."

Before I could respond, there was a knock on the door. I frowned, glancing at Tsukishima. "Expecting anyone?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

Curious, I got up and walked to the door. When I opened it, my heart nearly stopped. Standing there, looking as excited to see me as I was surprised to see her, was Tate.

"Tate?" I stammered, my mind racing. "What are you doing here?"

Her face lit up with a bright smile. "Blackfire! I can't believe it's you! I just got back into town and thought I'd surprise you."

I stepped aside, letting her in. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Why was she here? As she walked into the living room, her eyes widened and her smile faded when she saw Tsukishima sitting on the floor.

"Tsukishima?" she said, her voice filled with confusion and anger. "What are you doing here?"

He looked up, his expression calm but guarded. "Tate."

I quickly stepped between them, trying to diffuse the tension. "Tate, let's go to my room. We need to talk."

She gave Tsukishima one last glare before following me to my room. Once inside, I closed the door and turned to her, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me.

"What's going on, Blackfire?" Tate demanded. "Why is he here? And why are you hanging out with him?"

I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Tate, a lot has happened since you moved. Tsukishima and I... we've become friends. It's complicated."

"Complicated?" she repeated, her eyes narrowing. "After what he did to me? How can you be friends with him?"

"I know it sounds crazy," I said, my voice pleading. "But he's changed. And... I needed someone. Sario and I aren't talking, and Tsukishima has been there for me."

Tate's expression softened slightly, but the confusion and hurt were still there. "I don't understand, Blackfire. I came back, hoping to reconnect with you, and now I find out you're friends with him?"

I stepped closer, reaching out to take her hand. "Tate, you're still my friend. Nothing will change that. But things are different now. We need to talk about all of this."

She sighed, squeezing my hand. "Yeah, I guess we do. It's just... a lot to take in."

"I know," I said softly. "Let's just take it one step at a time, okay?"

She nodded, and we sat down on my bed, the weight of the past and the present settling around us. There was a lot to discuss, a lot to unpack, but at least we were finally facing it together.