Page 70 of Strings

I half smile as my phone vibrates again.

I gaze out the window as traffic slows. I wish I were home right now. Not home as in my apartment, but home as in Detroit. I was unapologetically me there. I said what I felt and meant what I said. Even though my life sucked so much worse, at least I didn’t have to fake everything.

“Sebastian could tell I was upset and he followed me outside the hall. He was trying to reassure me. Everyone has seen a change in him since you’ve been around. He’s not as nasty as he used to be.”

If she only knew. Maybe I should tell her the truth. After tonight, we’re going to fake break up anyway, I can feel it. Maybe it would be good for me to let it out.

“He wasn’t flirting with me and I swear to you on candy and my love for the entire Mars Corporation, that I wasnotflirting with him.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your caring, but what’s going on isn’t because of anything you did. It’s what I did.”

“What did you do?” she asks, rotating her head to see my face, but trying to focus on the road at the same time.

“I tried to make him jealous back.”

“Uh oh.”

Yeah, uh oh. That may very well be the understatement of the year.

When tempers flare, you show you care. Don’t do it.

Cherese gets a call from her father as we arrive home. She stays in the car to talk to him, and I decide to take the stairs back to my apartment.

I pound my feet as I take each step, the way Cherese does, letting my frustration out. It’s somewhat cathartic. I take my time, stopping to lean on the railing for a moment as I consider going back down and finding a bar in which to drown away my dumb feelings.

Drinking costs money and money is tight, so I continue to stomp up the stairs.

When I finally reach my apartment, Sebastian is waiting outside my door.

I sigh heavily. “Can we not do this?” I ask.

“Oh, we’re doing this. The question is will it be in your apartment or out here?”

I unlock my door. “You’re not invited in, so why don’t you go bother someone else.”

“Okay, hall it is. What in the fuck was that about?” he shouts, and I immediately hush him.

“God, you’re a pain. Fine, come on in, Ass-chin.”

He flicks on my light switch and tosses his keys on my couch. I close the door.

“That was an interesting stunt. Was it all for my benefit, or was some of it for yours as well?”

I cross my arms. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

“You were trying to get me jealous.”

I roll my eyes. “No I wasn’t.”

I rush to my kitchen and pull out a mug. I pour some tequila inside and take a shot. He follows me. I start to pour another and he takes the bottle from my hands.

“Why can’t you ever admit anything? Why does everything have to be a battle with you?”

“Give that back.” I reach for the bottle and he pulls it away.

“I’ll give it back when you answer the question.”

“You’re being a child.” I open a cabinet and remove a bottle of vodka. Unscrewing the lid with my teeth, I pour it into my cup, and down the shot. “Ahhh…” I scowl at him mockingly as I drink it.