Late Night Talks ✔

CHapTer SeVEn

     "Why are you screaming your lungs out?!"

     "Tiffany, it's you!" I exclaimed.

     "Ya, it's me. What did you think, the antichrist?"

     "Yes, exactly. Maybe that's what I'll call him."

     "Huh? What?" She stared at me in confusion. "Are you high?"

     "No! I'm freaking out."

     "I can see that. Breathe."

     "I'm trying," I said annoyed.

     She didn't say anything and stood there for me to calm down. Her face was taut with worry seeing me freak out. Was I over-reacting? I didn't know. But one person who was definitely overreacting  was Derek. This was about Nate, not Derek. And Nate didn't mind, for the millionth time.

     "Are you going to tell me what happened?" Tiffany asked after a few seconds of silence.

     "Yes."

     When I didn't say anything, Tiffany looked at me straight in the eye. "You know, you actually need to say something after yes for the yes to mean something."

     "Uh, oh...ok. Sorry. I was distracted."

     "So? What's this about?"

     A thought crossed my mind. Calculus!

     "What am I supposed to do in Calculus?" I said instead. "I already suck at it. I didn't need this. Now, I have to deal with him too. Like derivatives weren't enough."

     "Um, Viv. You kinda lost me there."

     Nervous laughter bubbled up in me. "Oh, you've got no idea, have you?"

     "Clearly," she agreed. "Let's just sit down, okay?" Tiffany offered and we sat down on the school steps.

     "Nate knows it was me. And so does his idiot friend Derek," I explained.

     It took a moment for Tiffany to understand what I was talking about and when she did, she exclaimed in shock. "What? Shit! Uh..."

     "Yep. Takes time to sink in. But then, you weren't the one about to be rundown by a psychopath."

     "What did he tell you? Nate?" she asked urgently.

     "Nate didn't say anything. It was Derek. And that's exactly my problem. Like he needs to chill, bruh."

     "So Nate doesn't know anything?"

     Unbelievable. "Are you even listening to me?"

     "Why don't you tell me everything from the beginning. And please include what Nate knows."

     I was pissed at Tiffany for only being concerned about Nate and herself. I told her about Nate's call and the run in with Derek, and instead of freaking out like I was, Tiffany calmly asked, "That's it?"