Sunshiny Things (Original)

Ch. 17 We're Just Friends

Freya

I pace around my room, arms crossed and swollen bottom lip from chewing on it for the last hour. So many questions where filling up my mind. And they were still coming at a rapid pace, too fast for me to process all of them. I rub my temples with both my index and middle fingers on both sides.

    "Shut up!" I yell out loud at my aggravating brain like it's another person. Another annoying person that won't stop blabbing its mouth just for one second. And If anyone were here right now, they'd probably throw me into a mental asylum.
Why does Dace want to meet me?
What are we going to do there?
How do I feel about all of this?
How do I feel about him?
And the question that scares me the most: Why didn't Cole show up at school today?

    Did I actually care? And if I did, why? My pacing stops as I here a loud mumbled scream come from over at Coles apartment followed by a bang. By now my nails have already gone in between my teeth and I'm biting on them viciously with nerves. Don't go over there. Don't go over there. I walk out of my bedroom and into the living to go and sit on the couch. As soon as my butt hits the soft material, my hand instantly goes to the remote to turn on The Office. I need something to drown out all my questions so I don't do anything i'll regret, like go over and check on Cole. The episode where Pam gets drunk at Chilis' is playing, and I giggle once I see her fall out of her seat. I hear another slam come form his apartment and I jump a little at the impact. But I just continue to ignore it a turn up the volume on the tv even higher. I grab the white and grey chevron printed throw blanket next to me and start to pick at a frayed piece on the end to occupy my mind with even more self-distracting supplements. Sadly, my attempt doesn't work and instead causes my leg to shake up and down fast with uncertainty and jitters. And the next thing I know, I've thrown the blanket to the side and instead of watching the office, I'm heading straight for the front door.

    I open the door and immediately turn to the left to reach Cole's apartment. I hesitantly stop though and stare at his front door for a moment contemplating. I raise a balled first up to knock on the front door but quickly bring it back down and shake my head at myself. I can't go in there. He'll probably just yell or threaten me befogging kicking me out. Scratch that, not probably will, defiantly will.

    After deciding, I automatically turn on my heel and head back to my apartment. That is, until I here the door of Cole's apartment open. I turn around and make an accidental gasp before covering my hand over my mouth. A tall girl, well not very tall but tall compared to me, appears out of Coles apartment. She shuts the door and curses in the process before taking a cigarette out of her cardigan and displaying it between her lips. She by no doubt one of Coles conquest probably. But I've never seen her before.

    The girl lights her cigarette and looks up finally noticing me.

    "Shit," she declares after blowing out a puff of smoke. I look behind me, thinking that she said that because of something else. But finally realize that her words were directed towards me because of my staring.

    "Oh I'm...I'm sorry," I stammer feeling like an idiot and also wandering why I'm still out here. I could easily go back inside my apartment, but for some reason I can't move. The girl laughs and shakes her head before taking another sip from her cigarette.

    "No, no you're fine," she protest with a smile. "My brother and embarrassment of a father are just arguing over some dumb bullshit. Ugh, high school. I don't miss it one bit," she concludes her sentence as she over exaggerates the it on the end of the word bit. I freeze up at her words and my mouth falls open wide in shock. The girl response to my expression with a confused look of her own.