Heartstrings and HighJinks

32: "You going soft on me, Sandoval?"

"I mean, can you believe him? Like where does he purchase his audacities from? The mofo walked into my room to 'apologize', then he was like, "grow up, Leah". He's calling me immature. ME. We're talking about the same guy that had a temper tantrum in the mall because they didn't have his size of skinny jeans. The same person that didn't come out of his room for three days after Totally Spies got discontinued. Just push that to one side for a moment, what's really bugging me is the fact that he's in the wrong, like he did something wrong, but he still finds a way to flip it and make me feel bad. Honestly, Chris is a serial gaslight-"

A couple stumbled into the empty chemistry lab we were in, probably looking for a place to make out.

"Oh my God! Find another room!", I yelled, exasperated at the interruption.

"I apologize for her behavior", Parker answered placatingly.

When they left, he turned to me in a "now, look at what you've done" kinda way, to which I just shrugged.

"Do you wanna listen to my advice or not? "

I nodded reluctantly.

" Sit down first, all your pacing is making me nervous", he said, gesturing to the stool beside him.

"First of all, have you considered the fact that maybe Kristy doesn't exactly know why you're mad at her?"

I wanted to respond with a brazen "Of course she knows", but something stopped me. I hesitated, thinking through all the things that had happened since that fated day.

Was it possible?

Eventually, I replied. "There may a slight possibility of that outcome", I said, drawing out my words.

"So maybe, they just think you're mad that they're dating in a very....romcom-ish way, which would explain Christopher's thoroughly misplaced hypocritical comment on maturity", Parker continued, his hands gesturing as he explained.

He paused, raising an eyebrow as a way of asking for permission.

"Go on, I'm listening"

"Hypothetically, if you were to talk to Kristy and say explain why you're mad at her -at them, what exactly would you have to lose?"

I glanced up at him at that question, running my tongue through my inner cheek(very bad description, will fix later).

"Exactly", he said, taking my silence as an answer, "but if you didn't talk to her and this results in a falling-out, you end up losing your best friend which, I admit, is a very ironic turn of events".

"So, you think I should talk to her?"

"In the end what I think doesn't matter what I think, the decision's all yours.", he said diplomatically, placing a placating hand on my shoulder.

I looked at his hand, then at him.

"You think I should talk to her", I deadpanned.

"Of course! Are you crazy? Kristy is the only reason your dead body's not in a ditch somewhere", he replied in that normal (annoying) voice of his.

I hate when he's right, doesn't help that he's (almost) always right.

You can do this, Leah. I thought, mentally reassuring myself before I walked up to her.

"We need to talk", I said stiffly to Kristy before heading to my destination without looking back to see if she was actually following.