Writing's Second Taste

Chapter Thirty-Five: Completely Poof

"So let me get this straight," Meg waved her hands in the air to silence me, "She doesn't know that you broke things off with him and she suddenly asks Adam to bring you for a night out so you both have no choice but to pretend that everything is still alright?"

I glanced away from the mirror, holding my curling iron in my hand, "Pretty much. It's her last day before she goes back to America and she asked me to go with them."

"Why didn't you say no?" Julia frowned.

Because this crazy amount of guilt was just radiating.

"I think I at least owe him this," I murmured with a sad smile, gazing at my reflection.

But I really do wonder why he hasn't told her yet. I would have assumed that they constantly share everything to each other, so something as big as this would have surely been talked about. Yet it was already approaching a month since that day in his apartment and still, he hasn't uttered a single thing.

Then again, I wasn't so innocent as well. Aside from Meg and Julia, no one else knew this. I told them not by choice, they initially observed my very noticeable change in attitude so they knew that there was something going on. In end, I caved in and told them.

At least it relieved me of the stress of pretending that everything was fine in front of them.

"So you're going to walk there?" she gasped, looking down on my high heels that was settled near my feet.

Adam didn't have the obligation to pick me up here anymore.

"No, I'll carry those and wear flats. I'll just change when I get there."

And maybe I'll take my sweet time while doing so to clear my head.

How will I face him? I don't even know how to act when I knock on his door. On top of that, we had to act as if nothing was wrong in front of Heart, to pretend that we were still happy sappy.

When in fact, I've been nothing but a sad slump and from what I've heard from Vance, he wasn't in the best state as well.

If you're going to play the game, play it well.

Sadly, we both gave up.

Was I half expecting that he would at least chase me? Yes. Did he? No.

The bigger question: Would I have stayed if he did?

With a last sigh, I ran a comb through my hair to loosen my curls then I finally finished with my look. If I was going to sit next to Heart Valentine all evening, then of course I would care about my appearance. Besides, Adam told me to dress fancy.

"Here we go," I announced with most deflated enthusiasm ever. I bent down to pick up my heels and slipped my feet into a pair of flats, "Wish me luck."

"Just call us if you need an escape route," Meg said, standing up with Julia to walk with me towards the door.

"Don't worry, my finger will be hovering on my phone all night," I joked halfheartedly, going down the steps of the dorm building.

The entrance was still wide open, which was typical since we only close it right after dinner. But because of that, I could see a clear view of what laid outside. Just before the front steps was Adam, staring down on his phone and I could see him repeatedly tapping on the screen, placing it against his ear, then tapping it once again within seconds.

I stopped midway through the steps because it was my first proper look of him in what felt like the longest time. I just stood there, taking in his troubled features but all I could think about was how much I missed him. If we were just like we were a few months ago, I would have ran up to him and give him a huge embrace.