𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐊 . . . 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝

𝟒𝟒. 𝐢'𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲

44. i'm sorry

season four, episode two: college tour

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After the whirlwind of events at the college tour, which ended in Nessa's own brother and Clay Jensen sitting side by side in the Sanderson Police Department waiting area, Nessa could not get away from her house fast enough. This was going to be a record breaking scolding by Karen Dempsey, and Nessa would rather not be there to see how that one played out.

"Good luck, soldier." Nessa whispered to Zach as she patted him on the shoulder playfully, ignoring the resting scowl that was on her mother's face as she glared at her son. "See you later, mom!"

Nessa drove herself to Jessica's, meeting her and Ani there for a girls night. She didn't get as much time with the two as she used to, considering life had its way of getting busy, so she cherished the time she did get to spend with the two girls.

"Oh, wow!" Jessica and Nessa said simultaneously as Ani opened the door for both girls, showing off her new room. Nessa looked around, in awe at what Ani had done with the room.

"It looks great, Ani." Nessa told her, and Jessica nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, just a few things." Ani said sheepishly as she entered the room, the three girls taking turns examining different decorations and trinkets in her room.

"Um..." Jessica began as she looked over at Nessa and Ani. "I heard about Zach and Clay. They got busted at the frat house today?"

"Don't even get me started." Nessa said as she held up her hand. "I'm sure whatever they got in trouble for, it had something to do with Zach."

Ani chuckled as she nodded and sat on her bed. "Clay was minding Zach at the time. He's been..." she looked over at Nessa, who was sitting beside her. "Off."

"That's an understatement." Nessa muttered. Zach had been off, he'd been off for weeks now. It was to the point where they barely ever had moments like they used to, and that worried her. She didn't know what life would be like if she didn't have her biggest confidant.

"So has Clay." Jessica replied, giving Nessa a comforting glance.

"So have you, no?" Ani asked Jessica, and she nodded.

"Yeah." Jessica said softly as she joined the two girls on the bed. "Look guys, I'm really sorry about all that Justin stuff."

"It's okay, Jess." Nessa told her, giving her a comforting glance as she put her hand atop hers. "You're sad, it's okay."

Jessica nodded, squeezing her friend's hand. "I'll be fine guys, don't worry."

"We have to all hold it together until graduation." Ani told her friends.

"Or both of you get into Columbia or some shit, and I'll never see either of you again." Jessica said, not looking at either of the girls.

Nessa was terrified, to say the very least, about life after graduation. Sure, their small town was not the greatest, in fact she was begging for an out, but something about the idea of not seeing her friends everyday and being miles and miles away from everything that she once knew terrified her. This town held memories, good and bad.

"Jessica Davis!" Nessa cried as she wrapped her arms around her best friend. "That is the most untrue thing I have ever heard. I hate to say it, but you're stuck with me."

"Me too, you can't get rid of us that easily." Ani replied as she joined the hug, a sweet smile on her face. "This is forever, us three."

"We will get through these next few months, and everything after that." Nessa encouraged her friends, but she needed to hear that too. She looked off into the distance, toward the doorway of Ani's bedroom, where her mind played tricks on her once more.