Flashcards On The Wall

Chapter 37: Five Days

I don't hear from Gabriel that day. Or the day after. Or the one after that. The next couple days are quiet. Tash doesn't play her usual music. Or complains about her day. Oddly, she's home a lot even though we both avoid any more conversations. Friday afternoon she asks me to keep her company while she cooks. I figure it's her way of apologizing and to be honest, I don't want to be fighting with her. We haven't necessarily made up, but she insists we continue with our lives. Meanwhile, I want the opposite.

"You are going to love this new recipe I'm trying," Tash assures me.

I think she's made it her mission to get me moving on as quickly as possible. Probably because she doesn't know what to say. She'll use anything as a distraction.

"Oh yeah?" I ask, not actually caring.

I'm less interested in what Tash's saying right now, but it's one of the first things we discovered we had in common. When we started living together we both made a deal to try making one new dish every other week.

"Yup. Just wait and see," she replies.

On the bar stool, I pretend to read news articles online, hoping Tash will assume I'm entertained doing so. She finally stopped asking me questions and is content with pretty much anything I say, as long as I don't keep her guessing like before.

The doorbell rings and we look up at each other.

"I thought you said Logan was busy today," I tell her.

"I thought so. Maybe his schedule opened up. Can you get it?" she asks.

"Um...Okay," I reply.

When I open the door though, it's not Logan. Gabriel is staring back at me.

"What do you want?" I immediately ask.

"I called you earlier, but it went straight to voicemail," he says.

"So?" I reply.

"You weren't in class," he states.

We don't have a class together but Fridays we have a class next door to each other. That's how he knows I didn't show up.

"Are you going to get to the point or simply waste my time?" I wonder.

"Can we talk?" he asks.

"Why?" I respond.

"I wanted to see you," he explains.

"You saw," I say as I start closing the door.

He puts his hand up to block it, "I want to know how you are."

"Why would you ask about something you don't believe happened?" I question.

"Can I come in?" he asks.

Before I can respond, we hear Tash, "Millie? Was it Logan? Tell him he's just in time."

I tell her it's not. I don't know if it's curiosity or worry, but three seconds later she's coming to see who it is, "Oh, it's Gabe. Hi. We're just about to eat. Care to join?"

"Can I have a minute Tash?" I ask.

She nods and heads back to the kitchen.

"There is nothing left to say," I tell him.

"I owe you an apology. The other day I demanded answers and when I got them I didn't want to believe what you were saying," he replies, "He told me you must have left because you were still upset with me. When you didn't answer my calls, I assumed he was right."

"I don't feel like talking okay Gabriel? Please leave."

"I don't understand why you didn't say anything," he tells me, "You should have told me," he insists.