Tomboy Tanya

Preparations

Holidays went by pretty much chilled. Almost every day I spent my time laying around the house either binge watching in Netflix or watching matches in the TV. That is other than the days when the boys dragged me out stating one reason or the other. Once in a few weeks Seb, Sam and I met up. Dad even made them have dinner once. Of course, at the end of the day, it was food that I spent my most time with. I would not be surprised if I had gained a few pounds.

It has been some time since I met up with the boys. Neither have I messaged either of them.

I adjusted the cap once again before climbing down the stairs.

"Is it necessary for you to take an apartment?", mom asked as soon as I sat for lunch.

"Of course, it is necessary. I am eighteen. I can't be depending on you guys. Anyways, I am going to search for a job too, so that I can try to manage the rent."

"Do you want me to drive you?", dad asked.

"No it- ", I paused swallowing a bite, "No, its fine. I can go on my own. But if you would give me the car, it would also be fine.", I added in the end.

"You can take the public transport with pleasure.", dad said standing up with his now empty plate.

"Well, it was worth a shot.", I said shrugging.

"Return before dinner.", mom shouted just as I closed the door behind me.

I had three things to do for the day. Go to the school to collect my marks card, and then head to college to scout apartments in the surrounding and a job nearby.

I walked down the lane and reached the bus stop finally after 15 minutes. I could just hail a taxi but I don't have the money for it. It's not that I cannot afford it, I just don't want to depend on my parents for my expenditure anymore. Since my birthday last month, I have been trying to spend with whatever money I have saved and depending on it as much as possible.

After the waiting of ten minutes, a bus finally came. I paid for my ticket and took a seat. After twenty-thirty minutes, I arrived at my stop.

Seeing that it was class time, the campus was empty except for a few students who stood gawking at me. I waved at them while heading to the principal office.

"Hello Miss. I am here to collect my marks card.", I said to the ma'am sitting in the front desk.

"Name?", she asked while picking up the stack of cards.

"Tanya Walter." "Sebastian Davis."

We both said at the same time. I turned around to see Seb standing there behind me with a smirk on his face.

"Could you tell it again? I got a bit confused with the both of you telling it together.", she said flustered.

"Tanya Walter and Sebastian Davis.", I said.

"Well, hello to you too Ms Walter.", Seb greeted coming next to me.

"Didn't expect to see you here. How are you?", I asked turning to him.

"Well, neither me. But life's all about unexpected, right?", he said turning my cap from one side to another.

"Here you go. Your reports. All the best.", she said with a smile in her face.

"Thank you. Have a nice day.", Seb said collecting the reports from her.

"You too.", she replied back.

We headed out after waving at her for one last time.

"Here", Seb held out my report.

I took it from him and stuffed it inside my bag.

"What you up to after this?", Seb asked unlocking his car.

"Well, I got two more errands to do before heading home. Why? Anything happened?", I asked turning to him.

"Well, my friend disappeared from the face of the earth for a few weeks without a word. Neither did she bother to call me. So I thought maybe since I found her today, I could get to make her spend some time with me.", he said getting inside the car and motioning for me to hop in.

"But I have some work to do. I can't come with you.", I said crossing my arms without moving from my place.

"I know genius. I am just trying to help you get your errands done. Now get in, we are running late.", he grumbled.

"What if I had brought my car here?", I asked getting inside the car.

"Your dad wouldn't have let you drive it.", he said shrugging.

"What if my dad had come along?", I asked pulling the seatbelt over me.

"Then he wouldn't have been waiting for you so long.", he said tapping on his wrist watch.

"Why do you have answers for everything?", I asked slouching on the seat with arms crossed and a pout on the face.

"Because I am me. I am your friend. I will know the answers.", he said chuckling.

"So where we got to go?", he asked after coming out of the school parking.

"Duke Carnegia University.", I said.

"Okay.", he said keying in the name in the GPS, "We will reach there in about 30 minutes. Fasten your belts."

After 40 minutes, we finally reached the destination.

"Now what are we going to do?", he asked putting his arm around me.

"Scout apartments.", I said looking around for to-lets.

"Wow, you going to move in here?", he asked while looking around the surrounding.

The neighborhood was peaceful. It would be nice if I could snatch an apartment in here. And the college was just 10 minutes walk from here.

"There, there. I see a to-let sign. Come let's go.", he said pulling me to wherever it was.

...

"There. All because of you. I told I will do it on my own. See now he thought we were a couple and told that he won't give me the house.", I complained as the landlord had not let us in to even look at the place because he won't rent to couples. Queer, I know. But we tried to explain to him. Keyword being try. He did not let us speak a word at all.

"Please, if I had not come you wouldn't have even noticed that house.", he said walking ahead of me.

"Whatever makes you sleep at night.", I said without changing my pace.

I looked around the neighborhood searching for vacant houses when I came across a diner with job vacancy.

I looked in front to see that Seb was way ahead and that I couldn't call out to him. I weighed the options for a moment before abandoning him and going inside the diner.

Ten minutes later, I came out to see a worried looking Seb.

"How could you just vanish? I asked a passerby uncle who happened to see you going inside. If you had been a minute later, I would have barged in. Anyways what did you go in for?", he asked putting his arm on my shoulder.

"I just got my first job."