Castaways

twenty-seven.

"I don't know, it's just one giant mess!"

"Ok, so let me get this right... You like Calum, Calum likes Makayla, Makayla and you like each other-"

"I think you've got a pretty decent grasp on the situation," Ashton nodded.

"-and Calum may or may not like you," I said, without thinking, and Ashton's head shot up.

"What?" Ashton sat up abruptly, "No, I never said that..."

"Oh... yeah, sorry." I brushed it off, laughing pathetically. I was mostly talking to myself, and I kinda forgot he was there. I didn't want to tell him I thought Calum liked him, because if he didn't, I didn't want to get his hopes up. But I'm gonna find out.

 "Anyway," I said, standing up, "if you'll excuse me, I've got a best friend to apologize to."

-

Coming into the kitchen, a wave of guilt hit me when I saw Angelle. She was curled up on the chair by the kitchen table. She had one leg propped up in front of her, both of her arms crossed over her knee, and her chin resting on her wrist. She had stopped crying, but her face was still red and splotchy, and it broke my heart. 

"Hey," I said, from the door, and her head shot up, and she quickly stood up.

"Sierra, you gotta let me explain, you gotta understand..." Before she could go on a full-on ramble, I walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. 

"It's ok," I said, pulling away, leaving my hands placed on her shoulders. "Stop. I'm sorry, I overreacted, and I hurt you," I said, brushing her messy hair over her shoulder, " and I'm sorry."

"Really?" She sniffed, her eyes still watery. I nodded, but she still seemed closed off from now, "But I almost kissed your boyfriend...?" She stated, questioningly.

"Yeah, you did," I said, simply, and pulled her hair in a ponytail at the back of her head, with the scrunchie I had on my wrist, "but what I said was not okay. What I said was meant to hurt you, more than what you could ever do would. You're my best friend, my bitch. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I deserved most of it." 

"Maybe. But some of that other stuff... It scared me." I shivered at the thought of the words alone. 

"What do you mean?"

"I... I guess that I could say anything like that to you, that I could even think that stuff about you. I know who you are, you're none of those things. It's like I couldn't even control what I was saying." I glanced at her face, still tracked with tears, "God, I'm so fucking sorry," I couldn't help but add because I don't think I could say that enough. 

"It's okay," Angelle said, softly, and all I could think was I don't deserve her. How could I ever try to hurt her? "It happens to everyone, I think. I mean, have you heard some of my fights with Calum?" 

"Yeah," I said, laughing with her. "Those are pretty bad."

She nodded, then shivered, and I realized Michael kept his house cold. Maybe it's a tactical thing for the apocalypse? I don't know. Either way, all Angelle had on was sweatpants and an old singlet, presumably Luke's, since that's where she was last night. I unzipped the hoodie I was wearing since I already had a tank top, and sweater on underneath, and slipped it over her shoulders, dragging her over to the living room, taking her over to a sofa chair. I gestured for her to sit and she did so, slipping her arms through the sleeves. I sat on her lap, swinging my legs over her lap. 

She caught my back with her arms, circling them around my waist. I laughed because at that moment, I felt that nothing had changed when I know everything had.