Exposure • Tamber

Chapter 13: Picture The Stars

Tara: it's soup, silly :) I'm sure it tastes the same.

"Are we really going to be making an entire Thanksgiving dinner twice?" Tara asked, watching as their kart got increasingly more full.

"Every year." Mindy nodded, ""You can invite Amelia if you want. Or Amber?"

"Oh, I don't know." Tara shrugged and checked her phone. No more texts from Amber.

"Things not going like you hoped?" Mindy asked, turning down a new aisle.

"No. Well, I don't know." Tara sighed.

"What is it T?"

"I just, I really like Amber." Tara started.

"I'm aware." Mindy held up two bags of marshmallows, trying to decide which to throw in the cart.

Tara grabbed the bigger bag and dropped it in with the rest of their groceries, "but I get the feeling she have many friends. And I mean, she's had plenty of chances to do something to show she wants to be more than friends but hasn't." She paused, chewing on her lip for a moment, "so I've kind of accepted nothing is going to happen and I'm just trying to be ok with just being her friend. Even though it might possibly kill me."

"Wow. That's some serious self control." Mindy started pushing the kart slowly.

"I guess." Tara grumbled and followed Mindy to the checkout line. Another buzz from her phone made her check it immediately.

Amber: it still tasted different.

Tara: i'll be there in 30

Tara shoved her phone in her pocket and quickly took the packed up grocery bags and slung them over her arms.

"In a hurry T?" Mindy asked, grabbing the last of the bags and following Tara out into the cold air.

"Just don't want to keep Anika waiting." Tara shrugged, picking up her pace.

"Uh huh." Mindy nodded, trying to keep up.

—

"You got all this?" Tara asked as she dropped the bags on the counter.

"Yeah. Say hi to your 'friend'." Mindy shook their head and shoved Tara back towards the door.

"Yeah, yeah.." Tara felt herself start to blush as she stumbled her way out the door.

—

"I'm starving." Amber pulled open the door wide before turning and walking away, leaving it open, "What took you so long?"

Tara chuckled as she walked in and shut the door behind her, "Oh please." She rolled her eyes and set her bike helmet on the counter and dropped her backpack on the ground, "It only took me 20 minutes to get here."

"Why's your face look like that?" Amber sat down at the counter and pushed a bowl of leftover soup in Tara's direction.

"It's cold outside." Tara narrowed her eyes in a mock glare as she grabbed the soup and walked over to the microwave. She shut the door and caught sight of her reflection. Her cheeks were pink from the cold wind as she rode her bike over from her apartment and her hair disheveled from her helmet. The microwave beeped loudly, Tara quickly tried to tame her hair before taking the soup out and putting it back in front of Amber.

"Mmm." Amber hummed happily as she slurped a spoonful of soup into her mouth, "See it didn't taste like this when I warmed it up."

"I'm sure." Tara rolled her eyes and looked around the apartment, "Where's Joey?"

"Oh I see how it is." Amber didn't look up from her soup, "You really just came over for my dog."

"Well, yeah." Tara teased as she sat down on the stool next to Amber.