In The Backseat

Chapter 6: Close Quarters

The kiss changed everything.

Before, things with Calitrope were simple-or at least as simple as they could be when you're dealing with someone who effortlessly drives you insane. We'd been roommates, constantly butting heads, with me trying to make sense of her unpredictable ways while she floated through life, unaffected. But after that kiss? Everything got tangled.

I avoided her. It wasn't a conscious decision at first-more like a survival instinct. I couldn't deal with the way my heart pounded every time I saw her, the way my mind kept replaying that kiss, no matter how hard I tried to forget it. It was all too much, too confusing, and I needed space.

But space was hard to come by when you shared a dorm room with the very person you were trying to avoid.

In the days following the kiss, I made myself scarce. I found excuses to stay out late, spending extra time in the library or hanging out with Adrianna. I tried not to be in the room when Calitrope was there, and when I couldn't avoid her completely, I kept our interactions short, polite, and distant.

But even then, it felt like the walls were closing in on me. The dorm room, once a neutral space, now felt smaller. Tighter. Every time I walked in, I half-expected to see her lounging on her bed, her lazy green eyes tracking my every move. And whenever she was there, I could feel her watching me, even when I pretended not to notice.

Like right now.

I stood at my desk, pretending to organize my notes, my back turned to her, but I knew she was there. I could feel her presence in the room, a heavy, almost tangible thing. She was lying on her bed, flipping through a book-or at least pretending to. I could hear the occasional rustle of pages, but every time I glanced over, her eyes weren't on the book. They were on me.

It was infuriating.

"Hey, Vee," Calitrope's voice cut through the silence, casual as ever. "You've been avoiding me."

I tensed, my hand pausing over a stack of papers. Of course she'd noticed. I should have known she wouldn't let this slide forever. But I wasn't ready to have this conversation. Not yet.

"I haven't been avoiding you," I lied, still keeping my back to her. "I've just been... busy."

She snorted, the sound soft but unmistakable. "Right. Busy. Sure."

I felt a flush creep up my neck, and I gripped the edge of the desk, trying to keep my cool. "I have been," I insisted, though even I could hear the weakness in my voice.

She didn't say anything for a moment, and for a second, I thought maybe she'd let it go. Maybe she'd go back to pretending nothing had happened between us, the way she always did.

But then, she spoke again, and her voice was lower this time, almost teasing. "You know, you're a terrible liar, Vee."

I turned around, my patience snapping. "What do you want, Calitrope?"

She raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into that infuriating smirk that never failed to get under my skin. "I want to know why you've been avoiding me."

I crossed my arms, glaring at her. "You kissed me. In front of everyone. And then you acted like it didn't matter. What do you expect?"

The smirk faded slightly, and for the first time, there was a flicker of something else in her expression-something I couldn't quite read. "I didn't think it would affect you like this."

"Of course it did!" I snapped, taking a step closer, the frustration that had been building all week spilling over. "It was my first kiss, Calitrope. And you just... used it to get back at Tatiana. Like it was nothing."