I walked down the hall and stopped in front of my apartment. I pulled the key out of my handbag and went to put it in the keyhole… only to find that it was already unlocked.
Guess they must’ve never gone back to Kate’s. I sighed and pushed the door open.
“Heyyy, look who’s back!” Krystal ব্যক্ত as she stood up from the sofa the moment I shut the door. “So how was it?!”
“Hmm, doesn’t look like it went too well Krys,” Katelin answered her. “He didn’t even walk her to her door.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “I প্রণয় আপনি both and everything but আপনি are really testing my patience right now.” I dropped my keys on the side table. “And he didn’t walk me to my door because it wasn't a date. Lucas and I are just বন্ধু and I’m not going to let it go passed that.”
“Oooh, the friend-zone…” Krystal ব্যক্ত as she walked into the kitchen. “Poor Lucas.”
“’Poor Lucas—?’“
“I mean, what don’t আপনি like about him?” Krys interrupted me and pulled my refrigerator door open. “He’s a cool guy, he’s from the same ফ্রোজেন over hell-hole as us… it’s perfect!”
“Hey, slow down! You’re অভিনয় like he has some kind of thing for me!” I told her as I put my handbag on the sofa for the moment.
She whirled around and gave me that are-you-stupid look that all girls around her age seem to abuse. “You’re joking, right? Did আপনি see his face?! He went bright-freaking-red when I said—!“ She suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence.
“Oh, when আপনি ব্যক্ত what Dear?” I crossed my arms and sat on the sofa. “You never did tell me what আপনি two spoke about when I left the room earlier…”
“Umm…” She turned around and continued to look through my fridge. “Cool! আপনি got me soda!”
I exhaled and dragged my hand down my face.
“I don’t know Tal,” Katelin said. She crossed her arms on the counter শীর্ষ and leaned against it. “I mean, I kind of noticed it too…the way আপনি two kept looking at each other when the other one wasn't paying attention, different mannerisms—“
“Why are আপনি encouraging her?! আপনি know what happened between us!”
“Oh, আপনি mean when he almost put a bullet between your eyes and splattered your brains all over Atacama?” Krystal chimed in with way আরো enthusiasm than that sentence deserved.
“…I say this because I care about আপনি Sweetie; you’re a troubled child.”
“Pft, you’re just figuring that out?” She muttered then shut the fridge with her elbow. She jumped up onto a chair at the counter near Katelin.
I sighed. “And no, that wasn’t what I was referring to… though I suppose আপনি could add that in too.”
“Talia, look,” Katelin ব্যক্ত to get my attention again. “I know আপনি two had some trouble in the past… but that was such a long time পূর্বে and আপনি aren’t dumb kids anymore. You've both changed so much since then and I know he realizes that too.”
“…You know, Krystal I’d expect… but you? I never thought you’d be trying to talk me into this considering everything with Elurra...”
“…’Trying,’ huh?”
I raised my eyebrows at her and she chuckled.
“I know Lucas is a good guy... I just want আপনি to be happy Tal, and আপনি two obviously have a lot আপনি can relate on with each other.”
“…Wait, did আপনি two used to তারিখ অথবা something?” Krystal asked with a chuckle of disbelief.
“…Yes. Back in Elurra when I was 17,” I told her.
“Whoa, what the hell happened then?”
“Krys—“ Katelin tried to stop her.
“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind, Kate.” I turned back to Krystal. “I was extremely selfish back then and treated him awfully. He was always there for me and the one time he needed me… I broke things off with him really harshly over something that I can now see was so petty. And that’s why this isn’t going to turn into anything romantic.”
She nodded like she understood, opened her soda and took a sip. “Yeah, I don’t get it.”
I sighed. “I don’t want to hurt him again and I really don’t trust myself enough to know that I won’t for sure. I just honestly don’t think I deserve the সেকেন্ড chance either.”
The room fell silent while her and Katelin looked at each other and smirked.
“…What?”
“So আপনি do have feelings for him?” Katelin asked.
I glanced at Krystal who swished her soda can around between her middle finger and thumb while she wiggled her eyebrows.
I sighed and couldn’t help but smirk slightly myself. I grabbed my handbag and stood up. “I’m going to go clean myself up for the night.”
“Hah hah… suuure thing Tal,” I heard Krystal say right before I shut the bathroom door.
“She’s so in প্রণয় with him.”
“I know right?” Krystal agreed.
Guess they must’ve never gone back to Kate’s. I sighed and pushed the door open.
“Heyyy, look who’s back!” Krystal ব্যক্ত as she stood up from the sofa the moment I shut the door. “So how was it?!”
“Hmm, doesn’t look like it went too well Krys,” Katelin answered her. “He didn’t even walk her to her door.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “I প্রণয় আপনি both and everything but আপনি are really testing my patience right now.” I dropped my keys on the side table. “And he didn’t walk me to my door because it wasn't a date. Lucas and I are just বন্ধু and I’m not going to let it go passed that.”
“Oooh, the friend-zone…” Krystal ব্যক্ত as she walked into the kitchen. “Poor Lucas.”
“’Poor Lucas—?’“
“I mean, what don’t আপনি like about him?” Krys interrupted me and pulled my refrigerator door open. “He’s a cool guy, he’s from the same ফ্রোজেন over hell-hole as us… it’s perfect!”
“Hey, slow down! You’re অভিনয় like he has some kind of thing for me!” I told her as I put my handbag on the sofa for the moment.
She whirled around and gave me that are-you-stupid look that all girls around her age seem to abuse. “You’re joking, right? Did আপনি see his face?! He went bright-freaking-red when I said—!“ She suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence.
“Oh, when আপনি ব্যক্ত what Dear?” I crossed my arms and sat on the sofa. “You never did tell me what আপনি two spoke about when I left the room earlier…”
“Umm…” She turned around and continued to look through my fridge. “Cool! আপনি got me soda!”
I exhaled and dragged my hand down my face.
“I don’t know Tal,” Katelin said. She crossed her arms on the counter শীর্ষ and leaned against it. “I mean, I kind of noticed it too…the way আপনি two kept looking at each other when the other one wasn't paying attention, different mannerisms—“
“Why are আপনি encouraging her?! আপনি know what happened between us!”
“Oh, আপনি mean when he almost put a bullet between your eyes and splattered your brains all over Atacama?” Krystal chimed in with way আরো enthusiasm than that sentence deserved.
“…I say this because I care about আপনি Sweetie; you’re a troubled child.”
“Pft, you’re just figuring that out?” She muttered then shut the fridge with her elbow. She jumped up onto a chair at the counter near Katelin.
I sighed. “And no, that wasn’t what I was referring to… though I suppose আপনি could add that in too.”
“Talia, look,” Katelin ব্যক্ত to get my attention again. “I know আপনি two had some trouble in the past… but that was such a long time পূর্বে and আপনি aren’t dumb kids anymore. You've both changed so much since then and I know he realizes that too.”
“…You know, Krystal I’d expect… but you? I never thought you’d be trying to talk me into this considering everything with Elurra...”
“…’Trying,’ huh?”
I raised my eyebrows at her and she chuckled.
“I know Lucas is a good guy... I just want আপনি to be happy Tal, and আপনি two obviously have a lot আপনি can relate on with each other.”
“…Wait, did আপনি two used to তারিখ অথবা something?” Krystal asked with a chuckle of disbelief.
“…Yes. Back in Elurra when I was 17,” I told her.
“Whoa, what the hell happened then?”
“Krys—“ Katelin tried to stop her.
“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind, Kate.” I turned back to Krystal. “I was extremely selfish back then and treated him awfully. He was always there for me and the one time he needed me… I broke things off with him really harshly over something that I can now see was so petty. And that’s why this isn’t going to turn into anything romantic.”
She nodded like she understood, opened her soda and took a sip. “Yeah, I don’t get it.”
I sighed. “I don’t want to hurt him again and I really don’t trust myself enough to know that I won’t for sure. I just honestly don’t think I deserve the সেকেন্ড chance either.”
The room fell silent while her and Katelin looked at each other and smirked.
“…What?”
“So আপনি do have feelings for him?” Katelin asked.
I glanced at Krystal who swished her soda can around between her middle finger and thumb while she wiggled her eyebrows.
I sighed and couldn’t help but smirk slightly myself. I grabbed my handbag and stood up. “I’m going to go clean myself up for the night.”
“Hah hah… suuure thing Tal,” I heard Krystal say right before I shut the bathroom door.
“She’s so in প্রণয় with him.”
“I know right?” Krystal agreed.