Looking Out for You

Chapter 2: Full Stop

Amity was pacing. Again.

Boscha was not amused. She watched with growing exasperation as Amity made rounds back and forth across their shared dorm room, like an anxious cat. Her friend had been going at it for over fifteen minutes now, a new personal record.

"Do you think we should ask what's wrong?" Skara whispered in her ear.

Boscha hummed contemplatively, glancing down at their entwined hands. If she knew anything about Amity, it was that saying the wrong thing at the wrong time was the equivalent of poking a sleeping elephant. Once upon a time, when she'd been a more immature person she might have done that sort of thing just to mess with her friend. But seeing Amity in this frazzled state outside of final exam season was slightly unnerving, so she decided to cut her some slack.

"Let's wait."

Skara nodded and relaxed against her, resuming her idless Penstagram scrolling. Boscha shut her eyes and leaned against the wall, deciding a nap sounded pretty nice right now, but then Amity finally decided to stop pacing.

Amity let out a frustrated groan, dragging a hand through her hair before unceremoniously flopping onto her bed. After a moment, she said something, but her voice was far too muffled by a fluffy pink pillow to be heard clearly. Boscha let out a defeated sigh, lamenting her stolen nap, and mentally prepared herself for the worst.

"What was that, Ams?"

Amity shifted, turning so that she was no longer eating her pillow, and faced her friends.

"I forgot to get someone's number."

"So? Can't you just get it later?" Boscha asked.

"No! Because I don't know when or where I'll see her again!"

"Ah," Skara chimed in, her eyes still glued to the phone screen. "You're upset because she was your type, right?"

"No!" Amity huffed, though her face turning beet red indicated otherwise.

"Keep lying to yourself Ams, but it won't make you feel better," Skara chirped back cheerily.

Amity grumbled some less than savory words under her breath.

"What was that?"

"I said you're not being helpful."

"She is, you just don't like what she has to say." Boscha pointed out.

Amity scowled at Boscha, who was long used to her friend's looks of disdain, and met her gaze with a raised eyebrow. Skara, having become bored of social media scrolling, tucked away her phone and decided to engage in the conversation more fully.

"So!" Skara waggled her eyebrows. "Tell us about her."

"No."

"Amity."

"Fine." Amity forced herself to sit upright, but kept her pillow hugged close to her chest. "We met, um," she hesitated, slightly embarrassed by the story if not for herself then for Luz.

"Are you going to get to the point or what?" Boscha asked impatiently.

Skara poked her in the ribs without looking, and Boscha let out a squawk of indignation that made Amity snort. Feeling a bit lighter, she loosened her death grip on the pillow and relaxed her shoulders.

"She's uh, really pretty."

"We got that." Boscha smirked. "You wouldn't have been pacing otherwise."

Amity threw a pillow at her, but Boscha caught it easily, and tucked it behind her head to rest against. Skara stifled a chuckle at Amity crossing her arms with a huff.