The Peace Offering

TEN

Maxine

I skipped lecture that day after the violent encounter with River and drove myself home. When I unlocked the door to my apartment I saw Gabby sitting cross-legged on the couch eating cereal while watching morning cartoon.

"Let me guess. You're totally hating the lecture today," she squinted at me, with a spoon hanging from her mouth. Her crimson bedhead hair rested sloppily on her shoulders.

I took out some eggs from the fridge and turned on the stove, adding some oil into the pan that was already there. "I just got beaten up."

"What? Look at me," I turned and Gabby inspected my face. "No bruises, no blood, no nothing. Take off your clothes."

I clicked my tongue and rolled my eyes. "It's the back of my head. My injury. You can't see it. Nobody can. But that doesn't mean it don't hurt. It actually hurts a lot, I forgot how to drive back here just now."

"Wow," Gabby slurped on her cereal. "Who did it to you?"

"River Milton," I deadpanned, breaking the eggs into the pan and frying them as scrambled eggs. I think I used about five eggs? Damn, getting beaten up by someone sure makes you so hungry afterward.

Gabby's hearty laughter echoed the whole apartment, it kinda made me laugh too. "Oh my god, finally! Whatever you did to her this time round, you sure deserved the beating."

"I know," I turned off the stove and scooped the eggs onto a plate. I took a piece of fork from the drawers and dropped on the couch beside my best friend. "I would really crush her right back if I was in the mood, but I wasn't so I figured I'd just let her win for today."

Gabby shook her head and smiled. She continued eating her cereal and I began to devour my breakfast. We both continued eating in silence. The back of my head started to throb harder, and I couldn't really think of anything at all but to get some sleep soon.

Finally Gabby broke the silence. "Did she... call you?"

"Claudia?"

Gabby nodded, placing her empty bowl on the coffee table in front of us.

"About one hundred and thirty-seven times now," I replied casually.

"What are you gonna do about her?"

"Nothing. I meant it when I said I didn't want to see her face again," I finished the last bit of eggs and put my plate down on the table too.

Gabby sighed and rested her head on my left shoulder. I rested my chin on her head. "Don't you love her?"

"I will always love her," I felt a lump in the back of my throat as I said that. "Which is why I'm bent on not letting her destroy her life. Nothing's worked so far. So maybe this is the only way."

Gabby patted my thigh. "You will be fine."

"Of course. As long as I have you and Britt here with me," I smiled. A couple of seconds later I found myself drifting to sleep.