The Score (Sequel to The Exchange)

Chapter 28- My Significantly Eviler Half

"Holy fucking shit, Amanda!" Arti ran up to me in the airport, and before I could stop her, she had me wrapped up like a python and its prey.

"Watch your fucking language. We're in public," I said into her hair.

"Thank you so much for everything. We've spent our entire lives together, and now that that's changed, it's like, it's like—"

"There aren't words for it, I know."

She pulled away from the hug, then pressed her cold hands to my cheeks. "I just missed you. I thought California would be just extra enough to keep me distracted, and it was most of the time, but it's not home."

I knew that feeling.

"You have any good stories?" I asked.

"So my roommate and I are both majoring in gender studies, but you would not believe how much of a fucking asshole she is. I love it," Arti said with a laugh.

I always thought gender studies was an impractical major, but I never told Arti. It was important to her, and therefore, I had to live with it. I had learned to keep my mouth shut about stuff like that.

"An asshole like us, or an asshole like Eleanor?" I asked.

"Like us, of course. There's no way in hell I could live through another Eleanor situation. I'd kill myself before I let that happen." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Wow, it's almost been two years."

I nodded as we wandered through the airport, trying to figure out where the hell the exit was.

"Anyway, I think you met her over the phone one time, but her name is Rachel," Arti continued.

"She seemed rude enough. I think we could get along."

"Oh yeah. You, her, Blaine, and me, we'd fuck shit up together. Plus she's not bad on the eyes, you know?"

Arti always had an appreciation for beautiful people.

I laughed. "Yeah, she seemed like the exact opposite of your two previous choices—"

"We don't talk about either one of those. It was a dark time in my life." She smiled. "God, I could just start crying right now."

"Please don't."

"Yeah, I know about your long list of allergies. Peanuts, bees, pollen, emotion, inefficiency."

I smiled as we found the exit. "Glad to see I haven't completely slipped your mind."

"So I know your social life has probably gone to shit, so how are the academics?" Arti asked.

"It hasn't gone to shit. I've made, like, one friend and three acquaintances."

She stared at me. "In four months? Damn, that's actually better than I was expecting."

I smiled and fluffed my hair. "They say college changes a person."

"I don't think it changes you, I think it just helps you figure out who you actually are. I got that from my philosophy class." She smiled. "I'm so smart and filled with useless knowledge."

"And I'm genuinely shocked that you've gone to a class."

"That was from the one day I went." She laughed. "Anything after syllabus week is bullshit."

I laughed. "Especially the general education shit. God, you would not believe how I got into it with my sociology professor."

"I would believe it, but please, do tell," Arti said.