The Odds in Our Favor (WLW)

ELEVEN

♥ Lucille ♥

The door closes with a slam when I kick it. I collapse to the floor. I am very out of breath.

"You good?" Kiara asks across the room.

"No. I'm dying."

"Ah."

The goddamn elevator was broken again. How the hell does this keep happening? I took the stairs up two floors to the dorm, then I realized I was an idiot and forgot my suitcase. So, I went back downstairs and to the parking lot to get it. 

Then I walked up the stairs again, only to realize I forgot my damn keycard in my car. I knocked on the door to see if Kiara would let me in. She did not. 

I left the suitcase and my bag in the hall because who gives a shit, and ran back down the steps again, only to realize my car keys had been left in my bag upstairs. Thankfully, I was only half way down the steps at that point. I went back up, grabbed the keys, rushed out to my car, grabbed my keycard from where I had—for some reason—left it in the center cupholder.

I made it back upstairs and got in myself, but my god. That was worse than the pacer test. So much worse.

"Why didn't you let me in?" I ask the rat as I stand back up.

She just furrows her brows. "Did you knock?"

"Yeah, like a few minutes ago."

"Oh. I was just in the shower." She admits.

"So you were." I sigh heavily. It's a little past noon. I left my parent's place around ten. The traffic wasn't as bad as the drive up, thankfully.

I drag my suitcase over to my closet, unzipping it and unpacking everything. I already washed the clothes I wore yesterday in the laundry at my parent's house.

When I'm done with that, it dawns on me that I should probably tell Kiara about the call with her mother... Yikes.

She's in the kitchen, making herself a grilled cheese now. I walk over, leaning against the counter beside her.

"Your mother did call me..." I admit.

I notice Kiara tensing slightly, nodding stiffly. "She said she would... So..."

"I answered it." I feel guilty. Whatever she has going on with her mom is clearly none of my business. And I know some things I probably shouldn't know. Like how her mother just casually mentioned her running away as a teen, or her alleged temper issues. Not that I've observed any.

Kiara is quiet for a moment, not looking away from the pan. I can't tell if she's mad. "What did you... No. What did she say?"

"She asked if you were behaving... I said yeah because I got bad vibes and I wasn't about to sell you out... But yeah." I don't mention anything else she told me. I don't think she'd be comfortable with knowing I heard any of it.

Kiara sighs and doesn't speak again, flipping her grilled cheese over.

I hesitate for just one second, then ask the most basic question of all, "Are you okay?"