Half of My Heart ✔️

52 | one last shot

After my second dance class as the teacher's assistant, I can't stop thinking about Dani on the drive home. I hate how far down I have to scroll in my recent contacts to find her number and I hate the flicker of nervousness I feel just before pressing Call. I remember when we'd talk almost every day.

When she picks up, the hesitation in her voice reflects just how strange our relationship has become over the past couple weeks. "Hello?" she says.

"Hey," I say quickly. "How are you?"

"Fine," she says simply. "Why are you calling?"

Leave it to Dani to cut through the bullshit. "I just wanted to talk to you." I turn into my dorm parking lot. "I miss you."

A pause. "I miss you too," she replies, and my shoulders sag with relief. "Haven't heard from you in a while though."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Sorry about running off and ignoring me after I was in the hospital for two days? Yeah, you should be," she says bluntly. "You're gonna have to do a lot of groveling to make up for that one."

I smile at the last part. "I'm already preparing to get on my hands and knees to beg for your forgiveness." Then my smile fades as I think about our last conversation. "You were right, you know."

"I'm always right." And I can imagine the smirk on her face as she says that. "What exactly was I right about?"

I take a deep breath. "I'm quitting dance," I tell her, making her the first person to hear this news.

"What? Really?" She asks, shocked at first. Then her voice calms. "I mean, about fucking time. What changed your mind?"

"Well, you, for one. What you said to me in the hospital about me blaming myself," I admit. "And also, not being able to dance for a month really made me realize how much I hated it."

We both laugh at my revelation, and suddenly, I feel that same ease with Dani that I thought we lost. Then even when I park in front of my dorm, I stay inside the car to keep talking to Dani, telling her about the beginners dance class that I'm assisting.

I tell her about every one of the little girls in the class and how each one reminds me of Dani, and in turn, Dani brings up embarrassing memories from when we used to dance together.

And just like that, it feels like I have my best friend back.

♔

Later that evening, I drive over to Mya's off-campus apartment. Immediately, I tell her everything that has happened since I last caught her up, from my confrontations with Levi to my telling Jack about his father's death at the gym. I tell her not to tell Archer about any of this, knowing what Levi has over Jack.

Mya's back is turned to me as she stares at herself in her full-body mirror, holding a black long-sleeve top against her body. "Are you even listening to me?" I whine to her, rolling over on her full-sized bed.

She turns to me, throwing the crop top onto her bed. "Yes, I'm listening," she insists. "Levi went psycho on you and Jack cried about his asshole of a dad dying. I got it."

I pick up the top, scrunch it up, and chuck it at her. She dodges out of the way just in time, laughing at my futile attempt. "Don't throw that at me," she laughs. "That's what you're gonna wear tonight."

I scoff. "I am not going out tonight. A club is the last thing I need. Seeing Levi is the last thing I need," I tell her.

"We're not going to The Bunker, you nut," she says with a roll of her brown eyes. "We're going to the club that literally everyone goes to. There's no band and no Levi. Only sexy guys and insanely bright strobe lights." She smiles, satisfied with herself.