RANDOM QUESTION:

Random Question (The Website).

"How did you guys come here?" I asked the two of them.

"We followed you in a cab," Jen said quietly.

"I've got my car. Come on then."

The three of us walked towards my dad's Ford.
I got in the drivers seat, Jen shotgun and Jerko sat in the back.

It was a 30 minute ride home and halfway through it, I was done with their stares and them keeping so quiet.

"I don't need your pity, guys. Stop looking at me like that."

"We just want to help," whispered Jen.

"I know. But staring isn't helping."

"You need to talk to us, Ver. You can't keep doing this all-"

"Doing what, Jen?! I'm perfectly alright. I'm not making a big deal out of it. I'm not a crying mess. So I have no idea about why the two of you keep insisting something is wrong when it isn't!" I screamed.

"That is exactly the problem, V!" said Austin, now shouting too. He was oddly quiet all this time. Looks like he was finally going to say what was on his mind.
"All through the past year, you have been acting as if nothing happened! Avoiding your problems doesn't mean you have solved them. It just means you're a coward."
That was Jerko for you. Blunt as ever.

"Coward? Seriously, Austin?! You have no idea how much it took for me to go back to that school and look at all those people. The same people who think I did everything for 'attention'. Besides, I did try to speak about it to someone but you know really well why I couldn't. So DO NOT dig up old wounds for no reason."

I slammed the breaks in front of Jen's house. I didn't look directly at her, but through my periphery I saw her give Austin a look. I also saw him nod through the rearview mirror.

"I'll see you tomorrow at school, Ver. Just remember. The two of us are always right here," she said as she held my hand that was there on the gear.

I nodded.

She then gave me a smile and got out.

Five more minutes to our houses. Five more minutes in the car with him. I can survive that. Or so I thought.

Those were the most awkward five minutes that had ever passed between us. Both of us not knowing what to say. Both of us knowing that today at least, was not the day to talk about this.

We finally reached home and I parked my car in front of my house.
I was going to leave without even giving Austin a glance when he said, "Hey V?" the tone in which he called my name made me turn. He sounded... Sad. Austin was never 'sad'.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for setting you up with that asshole, today. And I'm sorry for all the pathetic dates you've had to go on so far because of me," he said softly. Guiltily.

My Jerko. Always the softie. Only for me, though.

I smiled and walked towards him.
I gave him a big hug and while his hands were still around me, I said, "I'm sorry for jumping on the two of you like that too."

"Forgive me, Spongebob?" he said into my hair.

"Only if you forgive me too. Ooh! And buy me ice cream tomorrow."

"Chocolate chip, double scoop?" he asked with a smirk while looking down at me.

"You know it."

And just like that, Spongebob and Jerko were back to normal again.

***

The first thing I did as I reached home was call Jen and apologize to her too. I needed my friends back.