The Art Of Not Caring

e i g h t

My closet was empty. For a second the bad pun made me grin but it didn't help with the problem at hand. I was going to Tessa's house and we were going to do... well, something and I had no idea what I was supposed to wear. Since she'd asked me about paint and dirt I figured I probably shouldn't wear anything to fancy but I still wanted to look good. On top of that I was stressing about the frustratingly vague time of "sometime in the afternoon". What did that even mean? If I came over too early would she be weirded out? And what if I got there too late and she'd already decided not to bother?

A knock on my door yanked me out of my thought spiral and back into reality. My mom stuck her head in my room. "I have to go to the office again, you'll be alone the afternoon. Food's in the fridge and make sure you're phone's charged if you go somewhere." I nodded. Since my car had broken down my mom had made sure to remind me how important it is to have a phone with me whenever she could. Maybe to avoid another encounter with someone like Tessa. Well - I certainly wasn't telling her where I was planning to spend my afternoon.

"If Kat and Lacey come over please try to not burn the house down. Love you!" She made her way back down the stares and I was relieved when she didn't stop upon hearing my weak "Love you too". Even though I'd had a week to get used to the idea, getting reminded that Kat and Lacey weren't talking to me was like a punch in the gut - and it was only a matter of time my mom would notice something was off and I'd have to find an excuse for why I suddenly didn't have any friends anymore.

Still, as soon as I heard the front door slam shut excitement surged through me. I was about to drive to Tessa's house!

The door flung open and Tessa stood before me a wide grin on her face and her leather jacket and floral red dress still the only thing protecting her from the harsh wind. "Great, you made it!" Her singsong voice was cheery and she was already pulling the door shut behind her. I hesitated for a second before greeting her back by taking a step forward and giving her a hug. I guess she was even more surprised by the gesture than I was because she just stood there for a second before hugging me back. She smelled of flowers and a ever so faint hint of smoke.

"So what are we doing?" I asked after pulling away.

"You'll have to wait just a bit longer. C'mon, we're taking my car." And indeed, she was already walking towards her car with a spring in her step. Her happiness was contagious and when I got in the car I too had a disgustingly happy expression plastered on my face.

The car was exactly as I remembered it. It was still clean, bright and as colourful as Tessa. I decided that I adored that car. Sure, it rattled a bit when Tessa started the engine and the sound of the car driving was ever-present but sitting there next to Tessa not even knowing where we were going, I felt safer and more at ease than I had all week.

"Is it true that you're a drug dealer?" I blurted out, remembering one of the countless rumours I had heard. She laughed.

"Sorry, I'll have to disappoint you there. I have a bad habit of smoking cigarettes occasionally and a not as bad habit of getting high on the right occasions but other than that I'm a good girl through and through. Well, not according to this town's definition of good girl of course." She winked and I felt blood rushing up my face.

"Did you really sleep with the intern last summer?" This time Tessa laughed longer before answering with a sheepish grin.

"I think that's something we'll better leave where it belongs: last summer." I gaped but she seemed unbothered, continuing to keep an eye on the road and shooting amused glances at me every so often.

"Any other rumours you want clarification on?" She asked. I just shook my head no, still trying to wrap my head around how casually she had answered my last question. In an effort to prevent crossing the line from "creepy but cute" to "plain creepy", I forced my eyes away from her and onto the road.