Finding Amity

Chapter 11

The boys stood up and walked outside, leaving me alone at the table, desperately trying to process what just happened.

"Amity, come here." Pippa called. Her and Harry and Danny had stopped smoking and were now laying against the back of the couch, staring at the popcorn ceiling. I joined them, squishing between Pippa and the arm of the chair.

"You ever been high before?" Danny asked me, his voice slow. I shook my head. "Ever wanted to?" I shook my head again.

"It's because she's smart and successful." Harry explained. "We get high to slow things down, to figure things out. She's already got it all figured out. Right, Amity?"

I thought the question over genuinely. I chose my future major when I was 14. I think I chose neuroscience because it does sound more impressive than it is and I used to have a bit of a superiority complex. Then I built a plan around the degree, picked out where I was going to study, what hospital I was going to work at, even drafted up a research proposal for when I go for my PhD. My parents dying threw a wrench in the "university of choice" part, but other than that I was exactly on track.

Yet I couldn't bring myself to agree. For so long, my plan had only consisted of material achievements. Go to school, get a job, buy a house. But sitting here with Danny and Harry and Pippa, and now Marley who had planted herself on her partner's lap, I couldn't help but feel a little ashamed of my idea of success. Pippa and Marley were both girls with these unique, bold personalities who, from what I'd seen in the past week, dedicated their life to enjoying themselves.

Even I had judged her the second I walked in and saw her dancing. But my opinion, much like anyone else's, was a minor detail that would never stand in her way because she was having fun, and that's all that mattered to her.

I muttered a small "Kind of." before looking down at my hands.

"I think I've got my life figured out." Danny thought aloud. "Graduate, travel the world, finish writing my novel, maybe, one day, get a ferret."

"As long as my million cats get along with it." Marley added as she nuzzled into Danny's neck.

"One cat." They bartered.

"I wanna own a dispensary, sell pumpkin pie flavoured weed." Harry grumbled.

"That sounds disgusting." Pippa bit back.

"You're palette is just underdeveloped."

"Or yours is fried from being baked 24/7."

Cruise and Isaac came back in, joining us in the living room. They both looked angry and sat as far away from each other as they could.

"Sort it out?" I asked, intending for it to be a tiny mutter but it came out as more of a provocation.

Isaac shot me a narrowed glare and I ignored it.

"We were just talking about our life plans. What's yours?"

Isaac rolled his eyes, then spat out. "For my friends to not ask me stupid questions like that."

I knew it was an insult, but I couldn't help myself from breaking into a smile. He turned to the other members of the group, as if asking for an answer as to why I was grinning.

"You consider me a friend?"

Pippa and Cruise seemed to be giving him evil eyes.

"I misspoke." He growled.

When the three of them are elsewhere, I have got to ask the others what is going on with them.

Tension settled over the room as Isaac and I maintained eye contact, his dark brown eyes seeming to be sending me some message I couldn't read.

"So, are we getting pizza?" Danny asked, their phone already in their hand ready to dial.