Unexpected

16

         "So," I remarked, breaking the silence we'd fallen into. It was weird for us to be quiet around one another, but I could understand it, tonight had been a lot. Today had been a lot. I'd had a panic attack, had finally managed to open up about what had happened in the woods, had class, and gone to a party. It seemed like too much to cram into less than twenty-four hours and I knew Josh must be equally as overwhelmed.

"So," Josh repeated teasingly.

"Feels like I've lived a couple weeks in just one day," Hoping Josh understood what I meant and that I didn't sound like a complete lunatic.

"Yeah it's been a long day,"

"I'm sorry you had to come grab us, I know you'd probably much rather be in bed."

"I'll always be here for you Katie, don't hesitate to call me if you ever need anything." He caught my expression and I don't know what he saw in it, but he was quick to add "I mean it, anything anytime."

"Thanks," I murmured gratefully. It was reassuring to know I had him for support, and I didn't know then just how much I'd need it.

*

The rest of the weekend was in a word—lonely, and while I shouldn't have been surprised it still stung to have both my best friends giving me the silent treatment. Jameela's silence I understood, she was obviously hurt and it was made worse by the fact that she thought I had been laughing about it behind her back the entire time. I only hoped that if she had time to cool off and gave me another chance to explain things, we could fix our friendship.
Stacey's cold shoulder treatment had surprised me, and I could only begin to imagine the things Jameela had said to make her so angry with me. Stacey and I had been attached at the hip practically our entire lives and I had really hoped she'd give me the chance to explain my side of things, but every call, text, and voicemail I'd left had gone unanswered. Sunday morning I'd even contemplated going over there in person, but I knew Stacey needed her space.

While things with my two best friends wore heavily on my mind, it was the way Josh was avoiding me too that had me the most upset. I could understand why he was doing it, that he was trying to spare my feelings by being vague about his plans when he was obviously going on dates it still stung. It honestly made me angrier when he said he was busy but wouldn't say what with, it was like he thought I was an idiot. If he didn't have training and wasn't working, it was a rarity that he would be busy with anything else other than his new girlfriend. I'd had to stop myself from sending him a long string of rage texts because I knew it wasn't fair, Josh had said he couldn't be with me and I had to respect that decision.

Monday morning, I woke up with a pool of dread in my stomach and it took a good ten minutes to convince myself to even get up from the cocoon of blankets I'd wrapped myself in. I just wanted to stay bundled up in my little bubble of bliss away from angry friends and a distant Josh.

"Good morning Katie," My dad greeted, sliding a steaming mug of coffee over towards me. I accepted the cup gratefully, cradling the warm ceramic in between my palms thankful for the warmth.

"Morning dad," I murmured, taking a long inhale of the spicy aroma. I knew it was going to be at least a three cup of coffee kind of day if I had any hope of surviving what was sure to be an awkward day at school.

"Biz is coming to town tomorrow, she has reading break" My dad remarked, and my jaw dropped open in surprise. It made me feel both giddy and guilty at the same time, like so many things in my life during the past couple weeks I'd been neglecting my sister, not having bothered to give her a call once since asking her advice on what to wear on my first date with Josh. Before meeting Josh, I would've been the first to know about any plans Biz had to come home, heck I would've been planning exactly what we were going to do.