Zugzwang

Chapter 6

            “Hey.” I said running up to Nick on his walk home from school. “There’s going to be a party tonight at my place.” I smiled. Turning towards him.

            “I’d love to go-“ He started

            “Great! We can head over at 6 and be there by 6:30.”

            “As I was saying,” Nick continued, sounding annoyed. “I would love to go but I have to do things.”

            “What kind of things?” I started to pester at him.

            “It’s none of your business, darling.” Nick said, stopping at the corner of the street.

I stopped along with him. “It is if you’re rain checking on me.”

“I’m not calling rain check. I’m simply saying no.” He said with a smooth, calm tone.

Just then, a black car with limo tinted windows pulled up. Nick got in the car without saying a word. I stood there in silence. No one has spoken to me like that in a long time. Where was he going and why was it so important that he couldn’t say where? What better to do than to follow behind?

I left my bag behind two bushes and ran towards the turn of the block. There wasn’t a car in sight. I was disappointed but maybe it was a hint? I grabbed my bag and started to walk home.

***

At the party

            I started prancing around the house with my long blonde hair curled and a nice red cup in my hand. I walked into the kitchen to see a small group of guys, bullshitting about something. I refilled my cup and walked out. Trying to find a place to sit for a moment, I felt like there were eyes on me. It was a weird feeling of someone watching me. As if their eyes were burning into the back of my skull. I turned around quickly to just see the group of boys in the kitchen. None of them had even been looking in my direction.

            “Hey girl, I’m glad you can make it!” A drunken girl said, losing her balance and almost falling on top of me.

            I laughed lightly. “I’m glad I could too since it is my house.”

            The girl’s eyes went wide and she tried yelling over the music, “You’re related to Scott!? How rad!” She shrieked in excitement and ran off. Before she could go, I snatched the cup out of her hand. She didn’t need any more of that.

            I walked upstairs and wandered around the halls for a while with nothing better to do. I pulled out my phone and called Nick. Ring ring. Ring ring.

            “Hello?” Nick’s voice sounded soft.

            “Hey there, Nicholas. What’re you up to?” I asked, sitting on the floor of the hallway, drinking out of the red cup.

            “I’m just wondering why you’re calling me when I told you I was busy.” He said with a snarky tone.

            “Don’t be such a loser and get your ass over here.” I tried to stay calm.

            “I told you. I’m doing something.” Nick lowered his voice as if he was trying to hide that he was on the phone. I heard muffled people in the background but didn’t think anything of it.

            “Okay. I’ll talk to you later!” I hung up. There was something about him that when I felt like I should be getting angry, I wasn’t. And when I was, I felt like I was doing something wrong.