Palindrome

Forty-Two

Chapter 42

"Now I love your parents, but," Nagi pauses, looking at me expectantly.

"Go on," I say encouragingly, grabbing another chocolate covered biscuit from the packet she holds my way. Dr. Smith is going to have my head for eating all this processed food. But then again, all she's done is slap on another round of medicines after the procedures' results came back as negative.

"But that's such an ass move," she says, swinging her legs from where they're resting on my lap. Fiddling with her bangs, she folds her arms, sitting up straight.

"Why?" she wonders out aloud, waving her hands in the air.

I snort. "If I knew, I would tell you."

Nagi makes a face. "Just move in with me at this point."

"Nagi, I'm not running away from home."

"Pull a Devi! Go stay with Paxton," Nagi says excitedly, referring to Never Have I Ever. I'm just now realizing that there's a Paxton in that show who acts opposite to the female Indian protagonist. But that's pretty much where the similarities end between my story and Devi's.

I mean, for one, not as dark.

And also.

Paxton Hall Yoshida doesn't hold a candle to Paxton Enjelical.

But don't quote me on that.

Speaking of, my eyes dart towards the door behind which Paxton currently is. They've been in there for an hour at this point. People have come and gone, some football players and other students. Bronwyn's been sending me updates every five minutes. Turns out, she never changed her old number, and I never deleted it off my phone just for this moment to take place.

Bronwyn

Oh, the asshole's getting off with parole

Not on my watch

Aarohi

Just TJ?

Bronwyn

Everyone involved

Basically, half of the team

Which is why Ramirez is letting them off this easily

Aarohi

He can't be for real

Some team they are to AB

Bronwyn

You're telling me

Aarohi

How's he holding up?

Bronwyn

He's so pale right now

Blake would help

But

Aarohi

But we don't want to set off TJ's

homophobic ass now do we!

Bronwyn

I forgot how sarcastic you are