The Nice Kind of Bad

1

Jordan was tired of contemplating what she was tired of exactly. Over the months, she had lost count of how many times she had felt her stomach twist and drop into a ball of worry. Still, her eyes skipped to the phone spinning in her hands and she sighed once more.

"Not showing up again?" Heather asked, brows rising over her laptop. Jordan shook her head and showed her the text that had arrived a few minutes ago. "Can't make it today, babe, I'm sorry,"she read out loud and displeasure immediately colored her face. Heather tucked her red hair behind her round face in frustration and regarded her best friend with a frown.

"Not even a call this time?"

Jordan knew where Heather was going with this. They had had this conversation countless times before with the same emotions phrased differently. "It's no big deal,"she assured, abandoning her abject phone on the table,"universities can get busy." Which one of them she was reassuring, Jordan wasn't sure.

"How many times are you planning to let him get away with this excuse?" Heather questioned, closing her laptop and setting it aside the cafeteria table. Jordan ran a hand through her tangled, thick brown strands that found a way to mesh together by lunch and shrugged. As lousy as she felt whenever Dean did this, she kept all these questions at bay. She knew better than to let something good in a life like hers get away.

Heather hesitated and looked like she was about to say something, but shook her head once. She was as weary of this conversation as Jordan felt. Instead, she stared out the window at the school grounds that seemed pale and forlorn in the September sun and thought about how different September had been two years ago.

The busy sounds of the school cafeteria were momentarily interrupted by the scraping of heavy metal legs. "Today is a good day,"Carter beamed as he took his seat next to Heather and flipped his midnight locks to one side. His blue eyes went over both of his best friends and picked up the heaviness in the air.

"What?" he asked, looking back and forth. Heather turned her expectant chocolate gaze to Jordan who was trying her best not to groan at the how the day had turned out. One phone call, Dean, she mentally cursed, that's all it had to take. One phone call.

"Dean's not showing up again, is he?" Carter asked, face falling. "Is it that obvious?" Jordan asked, dryly.

"No, just expected,"Heather snorted. "Do you even remember what his face looks like, anymore?"

"Yes, Heather,"Jordan snapped,"I happen to Skype with him daily." Both of them snorted simultaneously and rolled their eyes. "Jordo,"Carter sighed, using the childish nickname that he refused to part with,"I don't even know what to say this time."

"Then don't talk about it,"Jordan snapped, feeling irritated. Really, how hard was it to not talk about it?

Two sets of reluctant eyes paled and shook in pity and disdain. "You know what you need?" Heather asked, pointing at her with a French fry and a determined look brightening her face.

"Please, don't,"Jordan groaned.

"Why not?" She frowned. "You love Carmen." Yes, she did. When it was not busting with her school's kids on a school night and they were mostly alone.

"I think it's a spectacular idea,"Carter chimed in and then cursed under his breadth before ducking his head over his arms on the table,"Is it your mom?"

Jordan felt like thanking Carter for actually remembering that huge problem. "I'll take care of it,"Heather said, undeterred and turned her expectant gaze at Jordan. Before she could reply, the table started vibrating.

All eyes turned to the phone that buzzed on top with the name that dissolved into air glowing. Jordan reached for it but Heather was having none of it and snagged the phone her way before answering it, much to her horror.